Team sunshine.co.uk head to a revised Donington Park this weekend hoping to give the Honda Integra one last win in the BTCC. With lead driver Paul O’Neill having already scored three podium finishes this season he is hoping to go one better this weekend and take his first win in seven years.
O’Neill has so far been one of the revelations of the year – in a car this is now in its sixth season of the BTCC – he has punched above his weight and is currently 8th in the driver’s championship and 5th in the independents standings. O’Neill knows that if he has a strong three races at Donington he can be back in contention for the independents championship.
O’Neill’s recent from has been blighted by bad luck. At Knockhill he was running a comfortable sixth in race two and if he had been able to remain there until the finish it would have given him a front-row start for race three. Instead he was collected by a spinning Steven Kane and went on to finish 10th. Despite his mid-grid starting position for the final race O’Neill still went on to finish 4th – showing the pace that both he and the Integra still have.
“After the way we performed at Silverstone and Knockhill, I really want to continue our strong form when we get to Donington,” said O’Neill. “I’m going to drive every lap as if it is my last and we know that the car is quick, so it will be interesting to see how we perform. Donington wasn’t our best weekend last year, but it seems that circuits where things didn’t go to plan last season have been the ones where we have gone well this year.
“I’m not going to be holding back at all and, as always, I will be racing to win. Tech-Speed has given me a phenomenal car all year and it will be a travesty if it doesn’t get a win before the end of the year. The Integra has arguably been the best car of its era and I’d love to give it one last victory in the final rounds and reward a team that deserves it more than most.”
Over on Twitter, O’Neill quipped: “Knowing my luck, James Kaye will steal my thunder in the old Honda Integra!”
John George in the second Team sunshine.co.uk Integra is hoping to continue his recent form which has seen him challenging some of the established front runner. Although he hasn’t scored any outright points since the first race of the year, George is usually found on the edge of a top ten finish.
“I went to Donington last week to have a look at the revised layout and I think the circuit is going to really suit the Honda,” said George. “My confidence is on a high after the last two rounds, and this weekend I want to try and convert the pace I’ve shown into some points.
“The Integra has been a great car all season and we have shown that it can still be competitive against newer machinery. I’m keen to show there is life in the old dog yet this weekend!”
Team chief Marvin Humphries echoed the views of many in the BTCC paddock who are relieved to be racing at Donington Park again this year. “It’s great to be going back to Donington after all their troubles, because it is a venue that no-one would want to lose,” he said. “Donington was a mixed bag last year but the car should be strong and we’re quietly optimistic of a good weekend.
“We’ve done a lot of work on the cars since Knockhill to repair the damage we picked up there and now we hope to carry on the progress we’ve seen with both drivers. Paul has shown again and again that he can fight with the best and John just needs a little bit of luck to secure the points finish his recent performances have deserved.”