VX Racing’s Paul O’Neill took his first victory of the season last weekend at Snetterton. Ever popular with the fans, O’Neill has been chasing the win since he was cruelly denied by Matt Neal’s last corner lunge in round four at Brands Hatch in May. The Liverpudlian has become accustomed to the podium this year, taking five third place finishes, including a run of four in a row.

In his third year in the championship – his second in the top class with Vauxhall – O’Neill has impressed on many an occasion, confounding his critics who had written off his chances of challenging team-mates Muller and Thompson before the season even got underway. His first career victory came last year at Oulton Park, after the demise of his front-running Vauxhall team-mates, however last weekend’s win saw him finish with Thompson and Muller trailing him to make it a 1-2-3 for VX Racing.

The weekend started on a high for Owy (as he is known to the fans!) as he set the fastest time in free practice on Friday. Qualifying was somewhat disappointing, with a third row grid spot falling below expectations. The first race kicked off in the blistering heat of the early afternoon on Saturday.

The start of the race brought carnage before the first corner. Fortunately for O’Neill, the damage occurred just behind his Astra Coupe and he was able to settle in to fourth position before the pack slotted in behind the safety car whilst the startline wreckage was cleared away. When racing resumed, O’Neill used the pace he had shown all weekend to pass Thompson for third, with the Hondas of Morrison and Neal out front. Next up were the mandatory pitstops. True to form, the VX Racing team produced three top stops for O’Neill, Thompson and Muller, allowing O’Neill and the defending champion to leapfrog Neal and take up the chase on Morrison. With the Vauxhall duo closing, Morrison suddenly slowed, cruising to retirement with what emerged to be a snapped alternator cable.

O’Neill led with four laps remaining. “When I took the lead I could just hear Tim Harvey on the TV commentary saying ‘He’s going to choke’”, he commented after the race. “It was a big thing for me today because that incident at Brands Hatch hurt me and all this weekend I’ve been thinking about it. I thought if I could win this weekend then it would make up for that. It’s a dream come true to win it and to get a Vauxhall 1-2-3. I had good clean fights with Yvan (Muller) and James (Thompson).”

Thompson, who has very much taken O’Neill under his wing during his time with the VX Racing team, later said, “I had a look at him on the last lap. There’s no point making it easy for him! He made a couple of mistakes, but I just wasn’t close enough to get past him. I’m really pleased for him though.”

With six races remaining this season, O’Neill’s aims are clear: “I want third in the championship. That would be a real achievement.”

The action moves back to Brands Hatch for rounds 15 and 16, and O’Neill will be hoping to avenge the misfortune of May’s race. Our tip?…Don’t discount win number three!

Useful Links:
Owyracing.com
Photos - Jakob Ebrey