Local driver takes podium place at Glenidan hillclimb
A local driver split the single seaters to take second fastest time of the day at the inaugural Westmeath and District Motor Club at Glenidan on March 12 last. Shane Bell from Mullingar and his Subaru Impreza also recorded the fastest saloon car time and he was the first club member on the timesheet.
Shane’s drive was just one highlight for the local club on a day that was the result of weeks of work, and the feedback from the competitors was positive. Georgie Bell (Shane’s cousin), the club PRO, had his driver’s hat on for the day as well as his organiser’s hat, and he was pleased with how it went.
“We got five runs, so we were happy. It went well – there were a few stoppages early in the day, but when the road dried out, it ran well,” said Georgie.
“The feedback from the competitors was that there was a nice bit of driving in it. There was a bit of everything, it wasn’t just a drag race around.
“The new virtual chicane seemed to go down well, everyone seemed to get in on it after the first couple of runs.”
The virtual chicane is a safety innovation in Irish motorsport. It takes the place of conventional round bale chicanes that have been used on closed road courses such as for rallies and hillclimbs to reduce speeds on safety grounds. The virtual chicane works in a way similar to the easy pass toll gate on the motorways, in that the approaching vehicle has to go below a certain speed before getting a green light.
Georgie said: “It works on a beam system that measures speed, and you have to reduce to 80kmh; you have to lift off and brake in a certain zone, and wait for the green light before you can accelerate again.”
Looking ahead, Georgie said the club are cautiously optimistic that their event will be included in next year’s national hillclimb championship. The signs are good, as Motorsport Ireland officials were present at the weekend and the 2023 hillclimb launch was held at Doynes of Glenidan on the Saturday.
On behalf of the club, Georgie expressed thanks to everyone that helped in the running of the event, from the volunteer marshals, and in particular the motorbike marshals and timekeepers, to the local residents, and the gardaí.
Shane Bell said of his performance that he was pleased to mix it with the much lighter single seater racing cars in a saloon: “I was very happy with that to be honest, for a 1.25 tonne Subaru.
“It’s a lovely hill, very fast. I was talking to a lot of the competitors, and everybody enjoyed the drive, it’s nice and quick, and it had everything, quick bits, and a couple of 90 rights.”
Shane said the going was slippery in the morning, but a dry line formed on runs three and four, “which allowed us to bolt on slicks and eek a bit more time out of it”.
His best time (1:01.47) was on his fourth run, 0.17 better than his third run time. John Donnelly in his Pilbeam recorded the winning time, the only one under a minute, at 59.66, and in third was Russell Stanworth in his Reynard Opel Lotus in 1:02.45.
Shane said: “Gary Kiernan, a very quick man, was right behind me, so I couldn’t lie on my laurels after the first couple of runs. I had to keep the pressure on, which is always the way with hills, that’s why I like them so much – the fastest time counts, and you just can’t relax.”