Formula JICA front-runners Lee Bell (High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire) and Oliver Rowland (Penistone, Sheffield) took a Finals race victory apiece at PF International on Sunday, ensuring the country’s leading junior karting category is set for a classic year.
Will Stevens (Hadleigh, Essex), leader of the Renault-sponsored British Karting Championship JICA class heading into the weekend’s second round of the 2005 season, was unable to continue his double-winning form from the opening meeting of the year last month and so it fell to Bell and Rowland to fight it out at the front.
Both drivers were in good form throughout qualifying and the heats, so by the time of the first of the points-scoring Finals, much was expected from the race and the young stars of Formula JICA most definitely delivered.
Having set pole position for Final One, Rowland got off to a flying start to lead from Bell with Scott Jenkins (Winterbourne Down, Bristol) in third position. Although Rowland opened up a sizeable gap on the first lap, Bell soon began to reel him in and on lap three the Buckinghamshire teenager took the lead as Jenkins moved into second place ahead of Rowland.
The front trio of started to pull away from the chasing pack and by lap nine the order had changed to see Rowland back ahead with Jenkins second and Bell now relegated down to third place.
Lap 16 proved to be the turning point of the race though, when Bell produced an excellent move to gain the lead and the eventual win. Jenkins finished in second position and Rowland took the final podium spot in third.
In Final Two, Bell led throughout the early stages and like his namesake in Formula ICA, Matthew Bell, looked as though a double-Finals victory was on the cards. It wasn’t to be though, with Rowland earning a good victory over a second clear of Bell with Ollie Millroy (Claygate, Surrey) rounding out the podium in third position.
Round three of the 2005 Renault-sponsored B4 Group British Karting Championships takes place at Clay Pigeon, Dorset, on Sunday, 1st May.
Whoever heads the provisional Formula JICA driver standings after the upcoming event will receive an invitation to be an exclusive guest of Renault UK and the Renault F1 team on Wednesday, 1st June, at Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit, taking a rare behind-the-scenes look at a Formula One test session.
Formula JICA Provisional Driver Standings:
1st Lee Bell, 194pts; 2nd Will Stevens, 186pts; 3rd Ollie Millroy, 178pts;
4th Oliver Rowland, 168pts; 5th Dean Stoneman, 163pts; 6th Ben Cooper, 160pts
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