O’Neill will again race the Leamington Spa squad’s older but still-potent Honda Integra in which he achieved some giant-killing acts in 2009 – including a third place outright at Snetterton.

Keeping on top of the diabetes which forced him out for several seasons with a strict fitness regime, he’s been out running eight miles a day with pop star sister Mel C during the Christmas break and is eager for the new season to start.

Indeed, to whet his appetite he spent New Year’s Day watching his first banger racing event at Wimbledon Stadium!

“It was awesome – I’ve learnt a few new moves!” O’Neill told btcc.net whose fans voted him their favourite driver of 2009.

“I can’t wait for the new season to come. I genuinely believe we’ve got a chance of a big result at the first round at Thruxton. It’s a circuit where the Integra has always been very strong plus we came close to a win there last year, my first event back for a few years and I was still a bit rusty. I was lifting in places which, now I know the car better, I know I should have been flat.

“There’s also bound to be a bit of hot-headedness – there always is at the first round – and maybe that could fall into my lap. It could be my kind of meeting.

“I think we can have a win at Thruxton. I really do. If we don’t have a podium I’ll be gutted.”

Northants-domiciled Widnes racer O’Neill, who's just turned 30, also believes he can give his legions of fans plenty more to cheer in 2010, but he says he wants to come away with stronger results.

He added: “I don’t believe many teams will be able to develop their cars much further whereas we’ve got a number of engineering tweaks that Marvin (Humphries, Tech-Speed principal) is working on and which I know will work.

“Last season I had a ball but this year I might not be getting as excited with sixth and seventh places. I want more podiums out of 2010.”