Bell Wins California Speedway Pole !!!

        TOWNSEND BELL DOES IT AGAIN IN QUALIFYING - ANOTHER POLE !
                        Damien Faulkner is Sixth on the Starting Grid

        FONTANA, Calif. (Nov. 3, 2001) - - Townsend Bell, of San Luis
Obispo, Calif., showed why he is the undisputed champion of the 2001 Dayton
Indy Lights series by  winning the pole position at California Speedway for
Sunday's season finale and the final round of Indy Lights competition in
history. 

        The qualifying order was based upon the driver point standings with
the fastest drivers going out last. Bell was the 10th and final driver on
the track and he didn't disappoint.

        The green flag waved at 10:00 a.m. under sunny skies and an ambient
air temperature of 77 degrees F. Dayton Tire engineers reported a track
temperature of 89 degrees F.

        The essence of qualifying was a wait to see not if Bell would win
the pole but at how fast. He answered that question on his first official
qualifying lap when he tuned his DIRECWAY Lola to a time of 0:39.148
(186.584 mph) around California Speedway's 2.029-mile oval. Teammate Damien
Faulkner, of Ireland, was sixth fastest in qualifying at 0:39.593 (184.487
mph).

        "It was great to come to this race with the championship wrapped up
because anything can happen here," reflected Bell. "A guy who starts dead
last could be in the lead within one lap. That's the way these races are.
There's a tremendous amount of satisfaction for me and my team. Bob and
Phyllis Dorricott have put so much effort into carefully putting the pieces
in place this year to give me everything to win. I'm glad to deliver for
them and my sponsors. DIRECWAY took a chance on me four or five years ago
when I was starting in Barber Dodge. It's nice for everybody that we
started to realize success as we worked our way up the ladder."

        It was Bell's 10th career pole in 24 career starts with Dayton Indy
Lights, and his eighth pole position in the last nine races. Bell's other
pole positions came at Milwaukee, Portland, Toronto, Mid-Ohio, St. Louis,
Atlanta, and Laguna Seca in 2001. He scored pole positions at Portland and
St. Louis during his first year with Dorricott Racing in 2000.

        Bell ranks third on the Indy Lights career records list and is tied
with past Indy Lights champion Bryan Herta for earning the most
single-season pole positions with eight.

        "This pole is fitting because it's all about the team when you race
at Fontana," shared Bell. "It's less about what I'm doing. I learned things
from last year that help at this Speedway but I'd be less than fully
competitive without my team. Winning this pole is a great way to celebrate
the championship with an achievement the team is primarily responsible
for."

        The green flag is scheduled to drop Sunday, Nov. 4, at 10:15 a.m.
(PT) for the final 50 laps (101.45 miles) in Indy Lights history. The
series will end its 16-year reign as CART's primary support series at the
California Speedway.

        ESPN2 will provide a delayed telecast of the California Speedway
Indy Lights race Monday, Nov. 5, from 1:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. ET (Sunday,
Nov. 4, from 10:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. PT). All times are subject to change.

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