Watkins Glen, NY (3 June 2009) – Matt Bell knows that in a long championship season, just like in a long-duration corner, momentum can be key. Bell generated some positive momentum in his last racing outing, qualifying on the front row and leading the Grand-Am KONI Sports Car Challenge race before finishing on the Lime Rock Park podium with co-driver Bill Auberlen with a run to third place. So it’s understandable that he is looking forward to keeping that momentum going as he and Auberlen once again team up in the Turner Motorsport BMW M3 this weekend at Watkins Glen International.
Car Challenge race at Lime Rock Park before finishing on the podium
The famed 3.4-mile circuit will set the stage for round 6 of the KONI Challenge championship season, and the 2.5-hour race will be a combined event with the GS Class sharing the 3.4-mile track with the ST Class.
After getting a running start to the season, Bell’s championship aspirations suffered significant blows in the form of two tough DNF’s, but he’s far from conceding anything just yet as he looks ahead through the KONI Challenge season.
“It would take a lot of things happening exactly right for us to get back to the top,” said Bell, who won the opening round at Daytona International Speedway to kick his GS Class campaign in gear. “But on the other hand, you just never know what is going to happen as the season plays out. So you just have to put your head down, and be smart about getting everything you can out of each weekend points-wise and just make good decisions out on the track.”
Bell made a lot of good decisions in his Lime Rock Park outing, once again not putting a wheel wrong on his way to being part of a very good day for Turner Motorsport.
The momentum gained from his run to third place is one that Bell is looking forward to making the most of this Friday at Watkins Glen, a track where he netted one of the quickest race laps in his ST class debut last season.
“It’s an awesome track,” said Bell. ““I’m excited for the weekend. Watkins Glen is similar to Lime Rock at least as far is it suiting my driving style, and even though we probably aren’t going to get as many Turner Motorsport fans as we had at their home race on Memorial Day, the team has a really strong following up there so hopefully we can be up front at the end again.”
And while it’s been a two-week hiatus for most of his competitors this weekend, Bell has another thing going for him this weekend in the form of some extra seat time last weekend at California Speedway, campaigning another Turner Motorsport BMW as he returned to BMW Club competition behind the wheel of Auberlen’s former Speed World Challenge racer.
