Tim O'Neil
Encyclopedia
Tim O'Neil is an American
rally racing driver, and the winner of five North American rally championships. He has driven both as a privateer, and as a factory driver for Volkswagen
and Mitsubishi
.
he had prepared, winning Canada's Novice of the Year. Prior to this he had raced stock cars, receiving rookie of the year honors in 1982. In 1987, he won the New England Division Championship. He was recruited by Volkswagen in 1988 to drive the Group A
Golf GTI
. During that year's Press On Regardless Rally, he led for over two days before getting stuck in a ditch on the last stage. He achieved his first overall victory at the Tall Pines Rally, clinching the Canadian Group A title.
He formed Team O'Neil Motorsport in 1989 as Volkswagen moved from Group A to the Production Class. He won six of the first eight SCCA National ProRally Championship Events, locking up both individual and manufacturer's championships by midseason. As North American Production Champion, he also became the first Production class driver to win overall at an SCCA national event.
event. In the same year, he used the car to set a record time of 7m, 45s in the Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race
. In 1992, O'Neil was signed by Mitsubishi, and drove a Galant VR4 to win the National GT Championship.
Championship seasons, which was featured in the game Sega Rally 2006
. At the end of the 2003 season, he announced his retirement from competition to focus on his Rally School.
He began competing again in 2006, driving a Subaru WRX STI, in several events in the Rally America
National Championship in 2006 and 2007.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
rally racing driver, and the winner of five North American rally championships. He has driven both as a privateer, and as a factory driver for Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and Mitsubishi
Mitsubishi
The Mitsubishi Group , Mitsubishi Group of Companies, or Mitsubishi Companies is a Japanese multinational conglomerate company that consists of a range of autonomous businesses which share the Mitsubishi brand, trademark and legacy...
.
1980s
O'Neil's first rallying experience was in 1986, racing a Saab 99Saab 99
- Development :On April 2, 1965, Gudmund's day in Sweden, after several years of planning, the Saab board started Project Gudmund. This was a project to develop a new and larger car to take the manufacturer beyond the market for the smaller Saab 96...
he had prepared, winning Canada's Novice of the Year. Prior to this he had raced stock cars, receiving rookie of the year honors in 1982. In 1987, he won the New England Division Championship. He was recruited by Volkswagen in 1988 to drive the Group A
Group A
In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed...
Golf GTI
Volkswagen Golf
The Volkswagen Golf is a small family car manufactured by Volkswagen since 1974 and marketed worldwide across six generations, in various body configurations and under various nameplates – as the Volkswagen Rabbit in the United States and Canada , and as the Volkswagen Caribe in Mexico .The...
. During that year's Press On Regardless Rally, he led for over two days before getting stuck in a ditch on the last stage. He achieved his first overall victory at the Tall Pines Rally, clinching the Canadian Group A title.
He formed Team O'Neil Motorsport in 1989 as Volkswagen moved from Group A to the Production Class. He won six of the first eight SCCA National ProRally Championship Events, locking up both individual and manufacturer's championships by midseason. As North American Production Champion, he also became the first Production class driver to win overall at an SCCA national event.
1990s
In 1990, O'Neil drove the AWD, supercharged Rallye Golf prototype to three overall wins and then became the first American in years to compete in Finland's 1000 Lakes Rally, a World Rally ChampionshipWorld Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship is a rallying series organised by the FIA, culminating with a champion driver and manufacturer. The driver's world championship and manufacturer's world championship are separate championships, but based on the same point system. The series currently consists of 13...
event. In the same year, he used the car to set a record time of 7m, 45s in the Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race
Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race
The Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race, also known as the Climb to the Clouds, is a timed hillclimb auto race up the Mount Washington Auto Road to the summit of Mount Washington in New Hampshire. It is one of the oldest auto races in the country, first run on July 11th and 12th, 1904, predating...
. In 1992, O'Neil was signed by Mitsubishi, and drove a Galant VR4 to win the National GT Championship.
2000s
O'Neil drove a United States Air Force Reserve sponsored 2002 Ford SVT Focus in the 2002 and 2003 SCCA ProRallySCCA ProRally
SCCA ProRally was an American rally racing series, run by the Sports Car Club of America from 1973 until 2004. The SCCA discontinued it for 2005, allowing Rally America to replace it, utilizing most of the same venues and existing infrastructure.-Rallies:...
Championship seasons, which was featured in the game Sega Rally 2006
Sega Rally 2006
Sega Rally 2006 is an arcade oriented racing game developed and published by Sega for PlayStation 2. It is the third installment in the decade running Sega Rally series, and it was released in Japan on January 12, 2006 and in Korea on March 30, 2006...
. At the end of the 2003 season, he announced his retirement from competition to focus on his Rally School.
He began competing again in 2006, driving a Subaru WRX STI, in several events in the Rally America
Rally America
The Rally America National Championship is the national championship of rallying events in the United States. The inaugural season was in 2005. Rally America was also the name given to the organization that sanctioned the championship, was briefly rebranded to RallyCar in July 2010, then reverted...
National Championship in 2006 and 2007.
Rally School
O'Neil started the Tim O'Neil Rally School in 1997, after having spent several years coaching other rally drivers on techniques, most notably, the skill of left-foot brakingLeft-foot braking
Left-foot braking is the technique of using the left foot to operate the brake pedal in an automobile, leaving the right foot dedicated to the throttle pedal...
.
SCCA ProRally Results
| Year | Class | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Group A Group A In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed... |
VW GTI | Chattahoochee Forest Rally 3 |
Happy Trails PRO Rallye DNP |
Sunriser 400 Forest Rallyy 3 |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... DNF |
Wild West PRO Rally DNP |
Ojibwe Forests Rally 4 |
Press On Regardless DNF |
Coachmen Stages Rally 1 |
* | * | ||
| 1989 | Production | VW GTI | Chattahoochee Forest Rally * |
Sunriser 400 Forest Rallyy 1 |
Pacific Forest Rally 1 |
Rim of the World Rally 1 |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... 1 |
Ojibwe Forests Rally 1 |
Press On Regardless Rally DNF |
Coachman Stages Rally DNF |
1 | * | ||
| 1990 | Group A Group A In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed... |
VW GTI | Sunriser 400 Forest Rallyy DNF |
Rim of the World Rally 1 |
Tiadaghton Trail PRO Rally DNF |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... DNF |
Ojibwe Forests Rally DNP |
Goldrush PRO Rally DNP |
Press On Regardless Rally DNF |
Coachman Stages Rally 1 |
* | * | ||
| 1991 | Group A Group A In relation to motorsport governed by the FIA, Group A referred to a set of regulations providing production-derived vehicles for outright competition. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, the Group A referred to production-derived vehicles limited in terms of power, weight, allowed... |
VW GTI | Rim of the World Rally DNF |
Tiadaghton Trail PRO Rally 2 |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... DNF |
Ojibwe Forests Rally DNF |
Goldrush PRO Rally DNP |
Press On Regardless Rally DNP |
Coachman Stages Rally DNP |
Maine Forest Rally DNP |
* | * | ||
| 1992 | PGT | Mitsubishi Galant VR4 | Big Bend Bash Divisional PRO Rally DNP |
Prescott Forest Rally DNP |
Rim of the World DNP |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... DNF |
Ojibwe Forests Rally 1 |
Goldrush PRO Rally 1 |
Press On Regardless Rally DNF |
Capital Forests Stages 1 |
Maine Forest Rally 1 |
1 | 80 | |
| 2001 | Production | Subaru Impreza WRX Subaru Impreza WRX The Subaru Impreza WRX is a turbocharged version of the Subaru Impreza, an all-wheel drive, four-door passenger vehicle. It is available as a sedan or wagon.... |
Sno*Drift ProRally DNP |
Cherokee Trails ProRally DNP |
Rim of the World DNP |
Oregon Trail Rally DNP |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... 3 |
Maine Forest Rally 1 |
Ojibwe Forests ProRally DNP |
Wild West ProRally DNP |
Prescott Forest ProRally DNP |
Lake Superior ProRally DNP |
12 | 14 |
| 2003 | Open | Ford Focus Ford Focus The Ford Focus is a compact car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company since 1998. Ford began sales of the Focus to Europe in July 1998 and in North America during 1999 for the 2000 model year.... |
Sno*Drift ProRally DNF |
Rim of the World Rally 5 |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... 2 |
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb 3 |
Oregon Trail Rally 2 |
Maine Forest Rally DNF |
Ojibwe Forests ProRally 5 |
Wild West ProRally DNF |
Lake Superior ProRally 8 |
4 | 76 | |
| 2004 | Open | Subaru Impreza WRX STi Subaru Impreza WRX STI The Subaru Impreza WRX STI, has the highest trim in the Subaru Impreza compact car line, produced by Japanese automaker Subaru.In the late 1980s, Subaru created the Subaru Tecnica International division to coordinate development for the FIA World Rally Championship and other motorsports activities... |
Sno*Drift ProRally DNP |
Oregon Trail Rally DNP |
Rim of the World Rally DNP |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... DNP |
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb DNP |
Maine Forest Rally DNP |
Ojibwe Forests ProRally DNP |
Colorado Cog DNP |
Lake Superior ProRally 2 |
17 | 17 |
- Limited Data was available for this year.
Rally America Results
| Year | Class | Car | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Open | Subaru Impreza WRX STi Subaru Impreza WRX STI The Subaru Impreza WRX STI, has the highest trim in the Subaru Impreza compact car line, produced by Japanese automaker Subaru.In the late 1980s, Subaru created the Subaru Tecnica International division to coordinate development for the FIA World Rally Championship and other motorsports activities... |
Sno*Drift DNP |
Rally in the 100 Acre Wood DNP |
Oregon Trail DNP |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... DNP |
Maine Forest Rally DNP |
Ojibwe Forests Rally DNP |
Colorado Cog DNP |
Lake Superior Rally 2 |
Wild West Rally DNP |
18 | 17 |
| 2007 | Open | Subaru Impreza WRX STi Subaru Impreza WRX STI The Subaru Impreza WRX STI, has the highest trim in the Subaru Impreza compact car line, produced by Japanese automaker Subaru.In the late 1980s, Subaru created the Subaru Tecnica International division to coordinate development for the FIA World Rally Championship and other motorsports activities... |
Sno*Drift DNP |
Rally in the 100 Acre Wood DNP |
Oregon Trail DNP |
Olympus Rally DNP |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... DNP |
New England Forest Rally 6 |
Ojibwe Forests Rally DNP |
Rally Colorado DNP |
Lake Superior Rally DNP |
22 | 8 |
| 2008 | 2 Wheel Drive | Mazdaspeed3 Mazdaspeed3 The 2010 Mazdaspeed3 retains the MZR 2.3 DISI Turbo engine. Pictures and comprehensive details were revealed to the public at the 2009 Geneva Auto Show and its North American Debut was at the New York Auto Show in April 2009. The MZR 2.3 liter engine remains, however new ECU tweaks will provide... |
Sno*Drift DNP |
Rally in the 100 Acre Wood DNP |
Oregon Trail DNP |
Olympus Rally DNP |
Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally is an annual rally racing event held in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. STPR is currently the fifth Rally America National Rally Championship event of the season.- Past Winners :... DNP |
New England Forest Rally DNF |
Ojibwe Forests Rally DNP |
Rally Colorado DNP |
Lake Superior Rally DNP |
18 | 1 |