Formula ICA points leader Matthew Bell (Morpeth, Northumberland) kept his 100 per cent strike rate of wins in the 2005 season intact at PF International Circuit on Sunday – but the youngster was forced to fight every inch of the way for maximum points.
The Grantham venue played host to the second round of the Renault-sponsored B4 Group British Karting Championships and after a dominant performance last month during the opening round of the year at Three Sisters, great things were expected of Bell at PF International.
Bell certainly performed well in the heats and a brace of victories in the two points-scoring Finals definitely looked more than probable. Having qualified on pole position for Final One, Bell got away well at the obligatory rolling-start to lead from Danny Cruttenden (Wilmington, Kent) and Benjy Russell (Wisbech, Cambridgeshire).
On lap three, however, Bell fell to third place and a lap later the championship leader was down to fifth position with Cruttenden leading. Russell hit the front of the pack on lap four but then Cruttenden re-assumed the advantage on lap eight and remained at the front up until lap 18 when Bell, who had fought his way past several drivers, made a decisive move for the lead.
Russell also made a move past Cruttenden on the final lap and looked like he had the chance to pass Bell for the lead. The Morpeth driver held-on to make it a trio of Finals wins from three races though, with Russell finishing in second and Daniel Rowbottom (Mamble, Kidderminster) edging past a luckless Cruttenden for the last podium place.
Final Two saw Bell again lead from the front at the start but on lap six Rowbottom, who started third on the grid, made a good passing move before Bell re-took the lead on lap eight. Another victory looked a certainty but then, on the final lap of the race, Rowbottom made a bold pass at the second corner to edge ahead. Bell, though, wouldn’t be denied, and fought his way back past for an incredibly close victory.
Round three of the 2005 Renault-sponsored B4 Group British Karting Championships takes place at Clay Pigeon, Dorset, on Sunday, 1st May.
Whoever heads the provisional Formula ICA driver standings after the upcoming event will receive an invitation to be an exclusive guest of Renault UK and the Renault F1 team on Wednesday, 1st June, at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, taking a rare behind-the-scenes look at a Formula One test session.
Formula ICA Provisional Driver Standings:
1st Matthew Bell, 200pts; 2nd Daniel Rowbottom, 175pts; 3rd Benjy Russell, 162pts;
4th Richard Kent, 161pts; 5th Tom Brown, 157pts;
=6th Henry Arundel/Garry Findlay, 154pts
For the latest British Championship Karting news visit the official Renault Sport UK website www.renaultsport.co.uk built by Racecar
