Big Rally For Matt Bell at Lime Rock Park

Big Rally For Matt Bell at Lime Rock Park

Attached photo courtesy Tim Bell: Matt Bell had a lot of work to do after losing a tire, and a lap, early in the race at Lime Rock Park

Lakeville, Conn. (28 May 2011) After a cut tire sent him spinning, Matt Bell and his Stevenson Motorsports team had a huge hill to climb after the No. 9 Camaro fell nearly two laps behind the leader, but Bell and co-driver John Edwards rallied back to score their second consecutive top-five result of the season with a run to fourth place in Saturday’s Memorial Day Classic at Lime Rock Park.

The fourth place result in Round 5 of the 10-race Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship marks the best finish of the season for the Stevenson Motorsports drivers.

Despite falling to 22nd following the unscheduled green flag pit stop, the California native began methodically moving up through the field as he negotiated his way through the intense, high-speed 1.5-mile Connecticut road course. By lap 60, Bell had worked his way into the 16th position and began clicking off smooth, consistent laps to move into 10th by lap 70. Bell dropped into a solid rhythm and was continuing to move forward when Stevenson Motorsports utilized a caution on lap 82 for a pit stop which would see Bell head to pit lane while running eighth.

“I felt the tire going down, and then it just let go and spun me around,” said Bell. “The guys did a great job to get me back out quickly but in a green flag stop you are just going to lose a lap here at Lime Rock. We were lucky not to lose two. I had to fight for every spot but the car was good and I’m really happy about how it went today.”

The Stevenson Motorsports squad made quick work of a driver change and routine pit stop and Edwards would return to the track in the 11th position. He quickly resumed the quick pace Bell had previously set and in similar fashion began to move his way through the competitive GS field to improve seven positions and bring the Camaro home fourth.

“Hats off to Stevenson for this huge rally,” said Bell. “The car was very consistent from the start of my stint to the end, even though we ran so many laps on the right side tires. The car was great. We will celebrate tonight, but then it’s straight on to preparing for the race at Watkins Glen next weekend.”

Bell does not have much down time before the next GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge championship round as the series heads to Watkins Glen International for the Continental Tire 150 in just four days.

Bell will participate in a promoter test day on Wednesday, June 1 followed by official practice and qualifying on Thursday. The Continental Tire 150 is set to begin Friday at 6:00 PM local time.

PR inquiries about Matt Bell should be directed to Matt Cleary at Sunday Group Management; 317.908.2975 (mobile) or media @sundaymanagement.com

For additional information:
www.sundaymanagement.com

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Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media
http://www.sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)


Based in Indianapolis, Sunday Group Management is a leading motorsports management and communications consulting firm.

Sunday Group Management works with clients in a variety of motorsports categories, including NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger, Riley Technologies, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series organization Michael Shank Racing, Continental Tire, and several teams and drivers in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition.

For additional information: www.sundaymanagement.com, https://sundaygroupblog.wordpress.com, www.facebook.com/sundaygroup, or twitter.com/Sundaygroup