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Tim O'Neil

{{Short description|American rally racing driver}}

{{Other uses|Timothy O'Neill (disambiguation){{!}}Timothy O'Neill}}

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Tim O'Neil

| image = Staff.tim.jpg

| imagesize =

| caption =

| nationality = American

| birth_date =

| birth_place =

| related to =

| current series = Rally America

| first year = 1986

| current team = Team O'Neil Motorsports

| car number = 29

| former teams = Mitsubishi, Volkswagen

| starts = 9

| wins =

| poles =

| fastest laps =

| best finish =

| year =

| prev series = SCCA ProRally

| prev series years =

| titles = SCCA ProRally Novice Champion, New England Champion, Production Champion, Group A Champion, Production GT Champion

| title years = 1989, 1992

| awards =

| award years =

| updated =

}}

Tim O'Neil is an American rally racing driver, and the winner of five production-based North American rally championships.[http://www.rallyracingnews.com/teams/bio-toneil.html Biography Tim O'Neil, Team O'Neil Rally School, Rally Racing News] He has driven both as a privateer, and as a factory driver for Volkswagen and Mitsubishi.

Racing career

=1980s=

O'Neil's first rallying experience was in 1986, racing a Saab 99 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 and also won the Tall Pines Rally Overall in a Production class car.

=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 Championship event. In the same year, he used the car to set a record time of 7m, 45s in the Mount Washington Hillclimb Auto Race.[http://www.climbtotheclouds.com/history.html The Climb to the Clouds Vintage Hillclimb at the Mt. Washington Auto Road at the base of Mt. Washington, Pinkham Notch New Hampshire] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071216073259/http://www.climbtotheclouds.com/history.html |date=2007-12-16 }} In 1992, O'Neil was signed by Mitsubishi, and drove a Galant VR4 to win the National GT Championship as well as winning overall at a national SCCA rally with a Production GT car.

=2000s=

O'Neil drove a United States Air Force Reserve sponsored Group N Subaru WRX to many National class wins in 2002. He then drove a 2002 Ford SVT Focus in the 2003 SCCA ProRally Championship season and had many podium finishes. This car was featured in the game Sega Rally 2006.{{Cite web |url= http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=140786&FS=PRORALLY |title=Motorsport.com: News channel |access-date=2007-11-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606150846/http://www.motorsport.com/news/article.asp?ID=140786&FS=PRORALLY |archive-date=2011-06-06 |url-status=dead }} At the end of the 2003 season, he announced a short retirement from competition to focus on developing his Rally School, the Team O'Neil Rally School in northern New Hampshire.

Tim spent much of the 2000s training rally drivers who later went on to win many national championships, including Travis Pastrana, Ken Block, Dave Mirra, and many more.

He began competing again in 2006, driving a Subaru WRX STI, in several events in the Rally America National Championship in 2006 and 2007.{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20070729143032/http://www.rally-america.com/event.NEFR.2007.php?section=entry_list Rally America]}}{{Cite web |url= http://www.subaru-msm.com/global/local2006/ranc/8.html |title= Motorsports {{!}} Subaru Global |access-date= 2007-11-23 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080829172811/http://www.subaru-msm.com/global/local2006/ranc/8.html |archive-date=2008-08-29 |url-status=dead }}

Tim also became involved with organizing the New England Forest Rally in the late 2000s as well as organizing several other rally races in the northeast.

=2010s=

Tim O'Neil continued developing the Team O'Neil Rally School as well as Team O'Neil Motorsports, a racing team that specializes in modifying production-based vehicles and has won many SCCA and Rally America National Championships.

During 2014, O'Neil drove EVSR, the fully electric racecar created by Entropy Racing, during Subaru's Climb to the Clouds Hillclimb at Mt Washington, NH. It was the first electric vehicle to compete in this event since its creation. Tim bested his old hill record with a time of 7:28. He now holds the fastest electric record at Mt. Washington.

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 braking.[http://www.team-oneil.com/press4.htm Team O'Neil Rally School & Car Control Center | Press] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090416025231/http://www.team-oneil.com/press4.htm |date=2009-04-16 }}

Complete Rally Results

=SCCA ProRally Results=

class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;"
Year

! Class

! Car

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! 10

! DC

! Points

1988

| Group A

! VW GTI

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| Chattahoochee Forest Rally
3

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Happy Trails PRO Rallye
DNP

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| Sunriser 400 Forest Rallyy
3

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Wild West PRO Rally
DNP

|style="background:#ECFFFF;"| Ojibwe Forests Rally
4

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Press On Regardless
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Coachmen Stages Rally
1

|

|

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFFF;"| *

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFFF;"| *

1989

| Production

! VW GTI

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Chattahoochee Forest Rally
*

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Sunriser 400 Forest Rallyy
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Pacific Forest Rally
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Rim of the World Rally
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Ojibwe Forests Rally
1

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Press On Regardless Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Coachman Stages Rally
DNF

|

|

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFBF;"| *

1990

| Group A

! VW GTI

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Sunriser 400 Forest Rallyy
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Rim of the World Rally
1

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Tiadaghton Trail PRO Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Ojibwe Forests Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Goldrush PRO Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Press On Regardless Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Coachman Stages Rally
1

|

|

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFFF;"| *

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFFF;"| *

1991

| Group A

! VW GTI

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Rim of the World Rally
DNF

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| Tiadaghton Trail PRO Rally
2

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Ojibwe Forests Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Goldrush PRO Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Press On Regardless Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Coachman Stages Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Maine Forest Rally
DNP

|

|

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFFF;"| *

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFFF;"| *

1992

| PGT

! Mitsubishi Galant VR-4

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Big Bend Bash Divisional PRO Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Prescott Forest Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Rim of the World
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Ojibwe Forests Rally
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Goldrush PRO Rally
1

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Press On Regardless Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Capital Forests Stages
1

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Maine Forest Rally
1

|

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1

| align="center" style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 80

2001

| Production

| Subaru Impreza WRX

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Sno*Drift ProRally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Cherokee Trails ProRally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Rim of the World
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Oregon Trail Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
3

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| Maine Forest Rally
1

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Ojibwe Forests ProRally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Wild West ProRally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Prescott Forest ProRally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFBFF;"| Lake Superior ProRally
DNP

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 12

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 14

2003

| Open

| Ford Focus

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Sno*Drift ProRally
DNF

|style="background:#ECFFFF;"| Rim of the World Rally
5

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
2

|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
3

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| Oregon Trail Rally
2

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Maine Forest Rally
DNF

|style="background:#ECFFFF;"| Ojibwe Forests ProRally
5

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Wild West ProRally
DNF

|style="background:#ECFFFF;"| Lake Superior ProRally
8

|

| align="center" style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 4

| align="center" style="background:#DFDFDF;"| 76

2004

| Open

| Subaru Impreza WRX STi

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Sno*Drift ProRally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Oregon Trail Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Rim of the World Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Maine Forest Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Ojibwe Forests ProRally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Colorado Cog
DNP

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| Lake Superior ProRally
2

|

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 17

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 17

  • Limited Data was available for this year.

=Rally America Results=

class="wikitable" border="1" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%;"
Year

! Class

! Car

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! 8

! 9

! DC

! Points

2006

| Open

! Subaru Impreza WRX STi

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Sno*Drift
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Rally in the 100 Acre Wood
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Oregon Trail
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Maine Forest Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Ojibwe Forests Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Colorado Cog
DNP

|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| Lake Superior Rally
2

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Wild West Rally
DNP

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 18

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 17

2007

| Open

! Subaru Impreza WRX STi

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Sno*Drift
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Rally in the 100 Acre Wood
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Oregon Trail
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Olympus Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
DNP

|style="background:#ECFFFF;"| New England Forest Rally
6

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Ojibwe Forests Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Rally Colorado
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Lake Superior Rally
DNP

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 22

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 8

2008

| 2 Wheel Drive

! Mazdaspeed3

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Sno*Drift
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Rally in the 100 Acre Wood
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Oregon Trail
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Olympus Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Susquehannock Trail Performance Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| New England Forest Rally
DNF

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Ojibwe Forests Rally
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Rally Colorado
DNP

|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| Lake Superior Rally
DNP

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 18

| align="center" style="background:#ECFFFF;"| 1

Sources

{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oneil, Tim}}

Category:American rally drivers

Category:Living people

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)