Today is going to prove one of the biggest challenges this year for up-and-coming BTCC ace Michael Bentwood.
Not only is Oulton Park the place he knows best because he instructs there, it’s his local circuit – which means added pressure anyway as all his main sponsors will be in attendance expecting to see him perform – but also he will have to try to concentrate even harder on his driving during Saturday’s Qualifying session to stop thinking about a little event taking place in Wales.
Bentwood’s beloved Manchester United will be kicking off in the FA Cup Final in search of their only trophy of the year just as he takes to the track in search of pole position for Sunday’s Round 10 of the Green Flag BTCC. So, unless the championship organisers relent and allow him permission to have a car stereo fitted in his Tech-Speed Motorsport-prepared Astra, he will miss the first 30 minutes of the match.
“I can’t miss it, I’ll have to watch it! I may even miss qualifying!” he joked.
On a more serious note, he added: “I think I’ll just warn the team not to expect much sense out of me after qualifying as I’ll be looking for a TV to watch the game! When I’m in the car it’ll be business as usual and I’ll be focussed on the job in hand, but when I’m out of the car I won’t be able to ignore the match.”
Bentwood has been a lifelong Man U fan – he only lives about eight miles from Old Trafford and goes to as many home games as he can when not racing. And, at the age of seven, he even got to play in his Theatre of Dreams when his father arranged, as a birthday surprise, for him to play in the first five minutes of Gary Bailey’s testimonial!
“I’ve got a picture on my wall of me standing next to Mark Hughes and Sir Alex Ferguson from that day. It was an amazing experience. My dad is friends with Sir Alex and he managed to sort that for my birthday, which was fantastic!”
Had the Oulton Park race weekend not clashed with the Cardiff Cup fight, Bentwood would have made the trip to see his side take on mighty Millwall. And, who knows, he could have witnessed one of the biggest cup shocks ever.
“You never know, that could happen. Millwall haven’t fluked their way into the final and the Reds could have an off day. Mind you, if I’d been there though and seen that I think I would be in shock for a long time!”
So Bentwood’s prediction for Saturday:
Manchester United 2 – Millwall 1 (with Millwall scoring first, but Van Nistelroy and Scholes hitting back for United)
Michael Bentwood – somewhere near the top end of the grid for the first race on Sunday. “My bad luck must have worn out by now so I’m hoping to get back to my Brands Hatch and Thruxton successful ways. And I know the circuit very well. So as long as we get the car into the right zone we should be up there!” he says.
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