News and Results

Derek Bell Racing - Stockrod 209 | home

News and Results

Saturday 13th October

Well not a lot of work was needed on the car this week as Derek hadn't really done any damage on his last outing. Derek was preparing himself to qualify for the Scottish only to discover at the driver's meeting that he had pre-qualified! He was the last person to draw their grid position from the hat and ended up picking pole position! Well, the adrenaline was pumping by the time came for Derek to line up. When the race got underway Derek got himself a good start but the cars behind him got caught up in a pile up and the race was re-started. When the green flag dropped for the second time Derek didn't manage as good a start but it wasn't long before some more cars got caught up and the race was stopped. When racing eventually got underway, Derek was trying to hold his racing line and keep with the front of the pack but he couldn't quite keep pace with some of the quicker drivers. However he was doing okay until he got caught up with 338, hit the wall and came to a halt on the in-field. His car suffered too much damage to continue racing so he did not finish in the Scottish and the car was on the trailer for the rest of the meeting. Ah well, I think Derek was just pleased to have pre-qualified to be in the race!!

Saturday 1st September

Well, it was another busy time in the garage for Derek as he worked to get his car back up to scratch for Saturday's meeting. In his first heat the track conditions were very slippery as the rain had begun to fall. However he managed to gain himself a substantial lead and before we knew it he was half a lap in front of everyone! Then, to our disappointment, a yellow flag was called as a car had been stranded on the track! Derek tried his best to regain his healthy lead but by this time a lot of the more experienced drivers had made it towards the front of the pack and when the chequered flag dropped Derek gained himself a commendable 4th place. Back out in his second heat and with the adrenaline still pumping from the previous race, Derek again managed to distance himself from the rest of the pack, his car flying round the track. 131 David Brown was gaining on Derek, and managed to overtake him with 3 laps to go, Derek was unable to retake the lead and finished in second place. We were all delighted and so was Derek! His good placings in earlier races gained him a place in the final but by this time the rain had really begun to fall and despite Derek trying his hardest to get to the front of the pack, he didn't manage to get in the first ten to the finish. It seems as if Lady Luck was looking on us..just this once! We are all off to Northampton for the Formula 2 World Final next week so Derek won't be racing, he'll be back out to try and qualify for the Stock Rod Scottish later in the year, the last meeting at the Racewall for the Stock Rods in 2001.

Saturday 11th August 2001

The car again went through some extensive garage work before appearing again at the Racewall to have another go. It was practice time for the 209 car and although he made it through it unhurt, on the red flag lap the engine decided it had had enough. So yet again Derek's car was confined to the trailer. This leads to the assumption that the number 209 must be in some way cursed or unlucky! Ah well..next time perhaps..

Saturday 21st July 2001

Well, we all thought it was over for the season, but in true DBR style, Derek worked and worked to get his car back out for the European Championship weekend. Extensive bodywork was done as well as alterations to the engine. On Saturday morning the car rolled out of the garage..looking as good as ever! With no practice, Derek was trying out the car for the first time in Heat 1. Pulling off from the front of the grid, Derek's car seemed to be going fine..which surely means something bad was about to happen! Three laps and Derek pulled off, sensing that there was something wrong with the car and no wanting to undo all the hard work he had put into fixing it. Derek's diagnosis was that the car must have been starved of oil for a second while he was upside down in the previous meeting and this had lead to the engine becoming damaged. So it was trailer time for 209 for this meeting..

Saturday 16th June 2001

He's thinks it's all over...and he's right!

Racing again on Saturday, Derek didn't manage to score any points, although during the meeting he commented on how the car seemed to be going a bit better. The original format for the racing was all cars in all races with only points scorers winning a place in the final. After Derek's second heat, with no points, he loaded up the car on the trailer only to be told that the final was now to be all cars. Derek was unsure whether or not go unload the car again and race but eventually decided he might as well race. His car was running perhaps better than it had done all season. Derek was managing to pass a number of the cars. 497 Kenny Graham was pushing Derek down the back straight and Derek was struggling , at the corner Kenny ran him wide and Derek hit the wall and then rolled the Stock Rod, ending up on his roof! This was Derek's first ever roll! Eventually the car was returned to it's wheels and the amount of damage sustained was clear. There was a considerable amount of damage to the front end of the car and also to the roof. Unfortunately he does not think that the car is realistically repairable, and therefore he has been forced into making the decision of not racing for the rest of the season. He also sustained some minor neck injuries but we are all glad that he escaped from the incident relatively unhurt. We are all very disappointed that Derek has been forced to quit due to the wrong doing of other drivers. The main task for Derek now will be to plan for next season. As yet he does not know what he will do next season but you'll hear it here first!

Wednesday 13th June 2001

It was back up to Knockhill again for another tri-oval meeting. The format was all cars in all races, perhaps not the best strategy on this kind of circuit in a non-contact formula. One of Dereks fellow yellow roofs, ex ministox driver Eric Morrison, seemed to be disobeying the rule of non-contact in the races, perhaps mistaking his stock rod for his good(?) old days in a ministox. Understandably Derek got a bit annoyed at being pushed right, left and centre and did try to retaliate. In the final, Eric pulled off into the lead and as he came round the lap Derek, pushed him deliberately off the track and into the gravel trap. Derek, now even more annoyed at being pushed off, reversed up the straight, and then re-joined the race. Even after spinning out Derek managed a 9th place!!

Sunday 3rd June 2001

As part of the National Hot Rod double weekend, the venue for Sunday's racing was Knockhill. Derek was having problems with the car and coupled with dislike of the circuit he scored no points.

Saturday 26th May 2001

Unfortunately on Saturday we had possibly our worst meeting this season. After narrowly failing to qualify in his first heat, Derek was back out in the second heat to try and secure his place in the final. He seemed to be going well until, at the bottom of the back straight he hit 777 who had been pretty much all over the track from the start of the race. 777 lost control at the bottom of the back straight and ended up stranded. Unfortunately Derek didn't notice him in time and hit him. It seems that this kind of thing doesn't happen to Derek when he is last, it always happens when he is up in the points. However, the damage is mainly cosmetic and everything else seems to have survived. Derek will be back out to try again on Sunday 3rd June up at Knockhill.

Wednesday 16th May 2001

It was all go for Derek again on Wednesday when he made the trip up the hill to race at Knockhill. A television crew that were going around asked Derek if he would do an interview with them, so not only have we had fame in Unloaded, now we will conquer the world of Television, and then...the world?! Derek seemed to be going okay in practice but when it came to his first heat it was clear that Knockhill perhaps wasn't one of Derek's favourite tracks. Derek tried to maintain the proper racing line but in doing this he allowed cars to pass him. Unfortunately he didn't score any points at Knockhill but said that he had enjoyed racing up there as it was a change from Cowdenbeath. Derek will be out racing again on the 26th May where hopefully he can score a few points.

Saturday 6th May 2001

Earlier engine problems having been resolved, Derek was back out racing on Saturday. In his first heat he managed to get ahead but when the race was stopped in the second lap Derek noticed that a lot of smoke was coming from his exhaust and fearing for his engine, pulled out of the race. In his second heat however, he was keeping steady pace with the other cars and there were no traces of any earlier problems. Derek finished 8th, his highest placing this season! In the final, Derek was having problems with his suspension, and this slowed him. Unfortunately, he didn't finish in the points in the Final but was still more than happy with his 8th place. When I spoke to him later, he seemed much happier about how the car was running, and he said that he is looking forward to racing at Knockhill on Wednesday 16th May!

Wednesday 25th April

The new roof gradings for the Stock Rods have just been released and Derek will be racing under a yellow roof from the next Stock Rod meeting(all being well as he has been having serious problems with his engine).

Unfortunately Derek did not race at the last Stock Rod meeting on the 21st April as he was having problems getting the car to run properly and did not want to risk doing serious damage to it by racing it in that condition. All being well he should return to racing at the next Stock Rod meeting!

Saturday 17th March 2001

Derek's Debut

In practice, Derek's car seemed to be going well, he was managing to keep pace with the other drivers. However, in his first heat, he seemed to be struggling with the car and pulled off before any serious damage was done. When I asked him what was wrong with the car he simply said "Dunno..". He was back out in his second heat, hoping this time to secure a place in the final. By this time the snow had begun to fall and the track was slippery. Again, he was struggling to keep the car going straight and when he eventually spun, he pulled off a lovely three point turn and was back in the race. He managed to secure 9th place and 2 points. The car was back out again for the final, which we all knew would be a tough race with the problems Derek had been having with the car. Despite a good start Derek dropped down a few places due to handling problems and although he spun the car he managed to re-join the race and take another 9th position, this time earning himself 2 points. When I spoke to him after the race he said "I'm not liking this spinning thing! You just get the car going well and then away you go!!". After the meeting, I managed to ask him a few questions.

How pleased are you with your performance tonight?

"It could have been better but still managed to score some points which is the main thing. For the first meeting back I think I did not bad.

How difficult was it driving in snowy conditions tonight?

"Different! The car could have been set up better for the conditions but you don't expect to be racing in the snow do you?!"

How much damage is there to the car? Is it easily fixable?

"Not much damage, just a few dents and scratches, but nothing too serious thankfully!"

Results Saturday 17th March

Heat 1

44(Martin McLean), 232, 29, 6, 150, 282, 338, 167, 111

Heat 2

658(Chris Latka), 150, 299, 497, 44, 807, 167, 713

Heat 3

53(Craig McDonald), 29, 658, 299, 282, 807, 497, 338, 209, 713

Final

53(Craig McDonald), 807, 232, 29, 299, 497, 167, 338, 209

Points League So Far...

Number	Points
53	89
299	78
29	75
658	70
232	58
44	57
639	52
150	49
497	48
338	46