INDY LIGHTS: Bell wins fourth of the year at Mid Ohio
Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
August 12, 2001LEXINGTON, Ohio (August 12, 2001) - Championship points leader Townsend Bell (DirecWay Lola) won a series-leading fourth race of the year and his second in a row at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course Sunday in Round 8 of the Dayton Indy Lights Championship. Bell led every lap from the pole and scored his third 22-point sweep of the season, with similar dominating performances having been turned in one race ago at Toronto and at the Milwaukee Mile in June. His first win of the season came on the streets of Long Beach in April where he started sixth.
The dominating performance earned Bell the $2,500 Simple Green Clean-Up Award for the third time this year. He has won $20,000 in Simple Green bonuses this season.
Bell, who set a new track record of 110.113 mph (73.809 seconds) on the 2.258-mile track in Friday's first round qualifying that held up through the final session on Saturday, was never seriously challenged in Sunday's race. He led by nearly 10 seconds in the late stages and set a new race record of 90.365 mph despite three full course yellow flag periods, including one that forced the race to end under caution.
Dan Wheldon (Gemstar Commuincations/PacWest Lights Lola) finished second while Bell's Dorricott Racing teammate Damien Faulkner (Dorricott Racing Lola) crossed the finish line in third. The top-three finish was the fourth-straight podium result for Faulkner.
Bell has now expanded on an already large Dayton Indy Lights Championship points lead. After heading into Mid-Ohio 19 points ahead of Faulkner, he now edges his teammate by 27 points, the biggest points lead of the season. Wheldon moved to third in the standings with 83 points.
Kristian Kolby (Hype Energy/Conquest Racing Lola) finished fourth while his teammate Matt Halliday (Mi-Jack/Conquest Racing Lola) rounded out the top five.
Text provided by Adam Saal
Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit
The Racing Photo Museum and the
Visions of Speed Art Gallery.