Bentley’s brand ambassador and five-time Le Mans winner, returned to the iconic circuit with Mission Motorsport to spearhead a unique challenge.
Bell was supported at Le Mans by a three-man pit crew from Mission Motorsport - a UK charity that rehabilitates seriously injured military personnel by actively involving them in a wide range of competitive motor racing challenges. He ran the supercharged 4 ½-litre Bentley in partnership with its owner, Martin Overington.
Former Royal Marine Commando Tony Compson, working along side Gary Dunning and James Gillborn, led Bell’s support team. All three men have suffered serious, life-changing injuries on active service but that did not stop the Mission Motorsport team from delivering some of the fastest possible pit stops for Bell and Overington. Or working through the night to ensure the Bentley was able to race on Saturday.
“It was an honor to have the Mission Motorsport lads as our support crew. They showed a real Le Mans spirit by working tirelessly on the car when we faced some major mechanical challenges and were fast and extremely focussed in the pits. It was genuinely hard to believe this was their first Le Mans experience or that these men are still recovering from some terrible injuries,” said Derek Bell.
“It was privilege to work with Tony, Gary and James. They were a huge asset throughout our campaign at Le Mans and Derek and I always felt we were in safe hands with the best possible chance of being competitive,” added Martin Overington.
Even though the Bentley Blower was unable to compete on Sunday, Bell and Overington finished 15th out of 69 entries in the Saturday race, with the Mission Motorsport team achieving a 92-second pit stop. The team was sponsored by Crewe Genuine Parts, suppliers of replacement parts for all Bentley and Rolls-Royce models built in Crewe, England from 1955 to the present.
Check out the latest luxury-performance vehicles from Bentley,
http://www.bentleymotors.com/
For more information about Mission Motorsport, please visit
http://www.missionmotorsport.org/
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