Bell/Watts Exclusions Stand

[Jonny Apex]

So it's official, then.

Robert Bell and Danny Watts - or rather their teams Motaworld and Fortec - have had their appeals against exclusion from 1st and 2nd at Thruxton in May rejected by the MSA.

Both have accepted the decision and chosen not to counter-appeal.

It means McLoughlin, Hamilton and davison are confirmed as the top three on the podium (how Davison must be ruing having let 3rd slip after the safety car)!

Makes Watts' achievements - he has still managed to make up the deficit to regain the championship lead (now equivalent to a race win, 32 points, and better than his worst score to date, a 25-pointer which he must drop) - even more remarkable. The rest, it seems, need to get their acts together pretty damn quickly if he's going to be stopped. Or at least given a run ...

[Paul Rayner]

Nicely timed, that, as the race is on TV tonight.....

[bella]

may i suggest attaching nitro cylinders to the rest of the field? it might give them a fighting chance against danny watts....

good job the verdict wasn't overturned. what's decided is decided etc (except in the case of the junior formula ford race at brands this weekend. careless driving my arse...).

[Sato san]

Thats taken a while to get sorted out hasnt it . I always think it would be better to get the matter sorted sooner rather than drag it out for a couple of months.

[bella]

too much bureaucracy to get through first....

[Jonny Apex]

The problem was, as I understand it, appeals against exclusions due to a technical nature have to go before what is called an Eligibility Appeals Panels (EAP).

As exclusions on technical grounds are quite rare, these don't sit very often. The MSA, at the beginning of the year, perhaps selects three or four dates in the calendar when EAPs will convene to discuss any outstandings matters. And the first one available after the Thruxton race on 6th May was late June.

I agree, though, that it would be better to have decisions made sooner rather than later, just so the teams and drivers involved and their sponsors who, at the end of the day, put cars on the grid know exactly where they stand.

[Sato san]

I understand that these issues must be judged fairly , but sometimes it would be better for everyone if they could speed the system up somewhat . It must affect the drivers in some form with the appeal in the back of their minds.