Back to news  |
RadarExpress Support
|
|
Shopping Cart |  |
 |
|
|
Shopping Cart | |
|
Bentwood started professionally driving at the age of 17, driving for Vauxhall in the Junior Winter Series, where he spent one season before progressing to the British Formula 3 Championship in 1996.
After gaining valuable experience in F3, he signed for Edenbridge Racing in the production class British Touring Car Championship in 2003. With a successful season, which included many podium finishes, Bentwood then moved to Vauxhall’s VX Racing team in 2004 where he had two further class wins.
Q. At what age did you first sit behind the wheel of a car and did you know at that point that you wanted to be a professional driver?
A. I was about 5 years old when I sat on my dad’s knee pretending to drive, I didn’t know at that point I was going to be a professional driver, however, a few years on I realised the possibility was there.
Determined, I focused on my goal.
Q. What’s been the most memorable moment of your career so far?
A. It has to be winning the Spencer – Charrington Trophy from the B.R.D.C (British Racing Drivers Club) in 2000 for being the highest placed Brit in Formula 3. To win against the likes of Andy Priaulx, Ben Collins and Matt Davis was a real achievement, and having my name alongside 1992 winner David Coulthard is something I’m very proud of.
Q. Which car do you currently own and why did you choose it?
A. I currently own a BMW 330D Sport Saloon. I chose it because it’s the best “real world” car for me - 204bhp, loads of torque and 42mpg.
Q. If you could only choose one track to race on for the rest of your days, which one would it be and what gives this track the edge?
A. It would have to be Silverstone Grand Prix Circuit. The series of Maggotts and Becketts corners still challenge the worlds top drivers in the latest Formula 1 cars. It’s always fantastic to drive no matter how many laps you complete, the corners are very fast which means you have to be extremely accurate.
Q. Money no object - which car would you like to own and why?
A. I’d love to own a Porsche Carrera GT. It’s the most complete supercar on the market in my opinion and it looks mega.
Q. What’s your opinion on the current motorway speed limit?
A. I think that it should be 80mph with a 5% tolerance. We have made huge advances in braking systems and in particular tyres, which account for around 80% of a cars handling. Although braking distances have shortened dramatically, the amount of cars on the motorway has shot up making the lanes more crowded and the chances of something going wrong is now much higher.
Q. Do you apply skills learned on the race track when driving on conventional roads?
A. Yes, sometimes. It’s comforting to know that I can deal with most tricky situations on the road. I consider myself to be more aware than other drivers and I tend to see things happening before they have actually happened. However it doesn’t matter how good a driver or how wonderful your car is, trying to stop on a diesel spillage is almost impossible!
Q. What bad driving habits upset you most about other motorists?
A. Drivers with a complete lack of regard for other road users, particularly lorry drivers. Lorry drivers are responsible for more than 50% of motorway accidents, they drive too much and look for entertainment by trying to intimidate other drivers. Being undertaken is also annoying.
Q. Do you use any speed trap locator devices, and if so, what?
A. Yes I do, I’ve used them for years, since the days of radar detectors in fact. Currently I use a New Road Angel and I think it’s brilliant. I drive with more discipline and I’m more aware of my speed.
Q. What are your plans for 2006?
A. To drive again in British GT’s with a top manufacture such as Ferrari, Porsche, or even Nissan again. It has recently been announced that the championship will return to tracks like Brands Hatch, Oulton Park and Snetterton. This is good news, and there is also talk of new manufactures coming in which will lift the profile of the series.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|