Paul O’Neill will start the first of the three races at Rockingham Motor Speedway from the front row of the grid in round eight of the Dunlop MSA British Touring Car Championship.

O’Neill, who recorded his best ever qualifying position of his season in the GoMobile.co.uk with Tech Speed Chevrolet Cruze, momentarily held the fastest lap of the session but was replaced at the top by the eventual pole sitter, Jason Plato. Speaking to BTCC Crazy after qualifying he said, “We’re pleased with 2nd but it should have been first. We just got the last sector wrong so if we’d had got that right then we would have been on pole. It’s one of those things.”

The Widnes-racer lies just outside the top ten in the overall driver championship standings with only one point separating him and Tom Boardman in which he will be looking to move ahead of after this weekend.

Paul, who’s previous best qualifying position came at Oulton Park when he started from 8th, went on to say, “It’s encouraging for us that the outright pace is there but we just need to convert that into a podium finish. Tech Speed did the business. I’m pleased for the team and I’m delighted to be on the front row.”

When asked if he thinks he can take the win tomorrow Paul replied by saying, “I’ve been in the BTCC long enough to know that I’ve got what it takes to do it.”

Photo Credit: Chris Gurton

James Mappin is the editor-in-chief covering the British Touring Car Championship. You can contact him at james@btcccrazy.co.uk, on twitter @BTCCCrazy or on his personal twitter account @jamesmappin.