Bell WINS Indy Lights Championship

                IT'S OVER ! TOWNSEND BELL IS THE 2001 DAYTON INDY LIGHTS
CHAMPION 
                        Bell Dominates Laguna Seca on his way into the
history books 

        MONTEREY, Calif. (Oct 15, 2001) - - It's indisputable. It's a fact.
Townsend Bell won round 11 of the 12-race Dayton Indy Lights Championship,
Sunday, Oct. 14, at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca and IS the 2001 Dayton Indy
Lights Champion.  

        He made it look easy yet he believed it wasn't. He was never
seriously challenged yet he raced as if the entire world of motorsports was
on his heels. He clearly etched his name into the annals of greatness yet
sincerely credited Bob and Phyllis Dorricott as the true reasons why he won
the championship. If there is a better example of a true champion than
Townsend Bell, it hasn't hit the radar screens. Simply stated, Townsend
Bell is not only the 2001 Dayton Indy Lights Champion, he is arguably one
of the most talented champions in the illustrious 16-year history of the
Indy Lights series.

        Bell, of San Luis Obispo, Calif., completed the 34-lap
(76.902-mile) race in 44:34.521 minutes and an average speed of 102.423 mph
around the 2.238-mile, 11-turn road course. His closest and only challenger
of the day was teammate Jon Fogarty, of Portola Valley, Calif., who
finished 2.963-seconds behind Bell for second place and his Indy Lights
career best showing. 

        "It's the right time and place to dedicate this championship to my
team owner, Bob Dorricott. He and his wife, Phyllis, have made every
difference for me. This is their race and their championship. When they
took the chance to sign me two years ago, it set this day in motion. They
surrounded me with the personnel, environment, and equipment to really have
a chance at winning on the race track. My entire crew and engineer, Gerald
Tyler, have been the best a driver could ever have."

        Bell started from the pole for his seventh time in the last eight
Indy Lights races and essentially set his own pace. It was up to the rest
of the field to catch him and they couldn't. It was his seventh career Indy
Lights race win in his 23rd career start. Bell's other wins came at
Mid-Ohio and St. Louis in 2000; and Long Beach, Milwaukee, Toronto, and
Mid-Ohio this year.

        The race ran "caution-less" so it became more or less a non-stop
"follow the leader" except for an exciting duel between Damien Faulkner, of
Moville, Ireland, and Englishman Dan Wheldon for fourth place during the
last 10 laps.

        Faulkner, who started sixth, moved into third place on lap seven
but had to give way to a faster Luis Diaz, of Mexico, in the first corner
on lap 10. At the end of the race, however, Faulkner prevailed over Wheldon
to move into second place in the Championship heading into the season and
series finale at California Speedway on Sunday, Nov. 4.

        "I was able to pass Wheldon in turn two at the start and then fight
my way to third place," Faulkner reflected. "I liked it when Dorricott
Racing was running first, second, and third but I couldn't hold that
position against Diaz. He was remarkably fast and highlighted his day when
he set the fastest lap of the race. Nonetheless, I'm pleased to finish
fourth and move back into second place."

        Fogarty's race was relatively simple because no other drivers could
keep up with him. He was able to focus solely on keeping up with Bell.

        "Townsend and I briefly spoke about the race start but we didn't
have a planned strategy," said Fogarty. "I took off when Townsend did. It
was his start and he had the slight jump. I fell in behind him going up the
hill and through turn two. I decided that holding my position was the best
move and things worked out. I was able to run strong during the early laps
but my tires started going away about mid-race before my fuel burned off.
Once the fuel load lightened, I still had tires that were well matched to
the car. I thought I was catching up near the end but the car started
sliding around the harder I pushed it. I didn't want to throw away a second
place finish. I'm happy for Townsend and his championship."
 
        Bonus awards to Dorricott Racing include two pairs of Dayton
Daytona racing tires for Bell being the top qualifier, and Fogarty as the
Dayton Rookie Award recipient.

        Bell also claimed the Racing For Kids Driver Performance Award of
$500. An additional $1,500 will be presented to the Lucille Packard
Children's Hospital at Stanford University on behalf of Bell and Racing For
Kids.

        Faulkner's awards included four Dayton Daytona racing tires as the
"Move to the Front" award recipient based on Faulkner improving two
positions from sixth to fourth. Faulkner maintains a slim two-point margin
over Wheldon for Rookie-of-the-Year, 135-133. 

        The United States moved ahead in the battle for the Nations Cup
with 170 points due to Bell's 22-point. Faulkner's 12 championship points
combined with fellow Irishman Derek Higgins eight points (sixth place)
helped keep Ireland in the hunt with 167 points. Mexico is in third place
with 142 points. 

        Bell is the 16th different Dayton Indy Lights champion since the
series inception in 1986 and the first American to win the championship
since current CART FedEx star Bryan Herta in 1993. Sunday's race was also
the first time the Indy Lights title was decided at Laguna Seca since 1989
when Mike Groff edged Tommy Byrne for the title.

        This is the 10th year of competition in the Dayton Indy Lights
Championship for team-owner Bob Dorricott. Laguna Seca was the team's 15th
victory 228 Indy Lights starts.

        Detailed race results, team, and sponsor information are available
on Dorricott Racing's official web site, http://www.dorricottracing.com.

        The series finale of the 12-race Dayton Indy Lights Championship
will be at California Speedway in Fontana, Calif., Sunday, Nov. 4. 

                                                #     #     #