Martyn Nicholas Bell (born 17 July 1964) is a former auto racing driver. He raced BMWs in various championships including for four year the British Touring Car Championship. He won one overall title and three class titles in his nine years of driving BMWs for Geoff Steel (himself a former BTCC racer) and was the first person to campaign a BMW E46 in the UK.

In 2006, Bell and Steel moved into the BTCC in a 320i. He returned for the 2007 BTCC season with the same car under the team allaboutproperty.com Team banner. In 2008, he teamed up with fellow BTCC racer Erkut Kızılırmak with two former works Vauxhall Astra Sports Hatch for Team Arkas Racing with Tech-Speed Motorsport. He competed in the 2009 championship in a two-car Tech-Speed Motorsport outfit, alongside Paul O'Neill.

Bell took a sabbatical from motorsport for 2010 due to a hip injury he sustained during the previous year.

Personal

Bell is primarily a family man, married with two children and the Proprietor of Martyn Bell Motor Engineers Limited in Barrow upon Humber, some 15 miles (24 km) from Grimsby in North East Lincolnshire. He currently lives in South Ferriby, a hamlet three miles outside Barrow upon Humber.

Bell is a popular figure who always has time for his fans. He works hard for his Sponsors, taking the BMW to events and exhibitions all over the UK and Europe. When not racing he is involved in his local community supporting many local events. Martyn has trained as a Motor Sport Marshal and can sometimes be found at Cadwell Park Circuit putting something back into the Sport. He is an accomplished public speaker.

Racing record

Bell driving the Geoff Steel Racing-run BMW at the Brands Hatch round of the 2006 British Touring Car Championship.
Bell driving at the Oulton Park round of the 2006 British Touring Car Championship.
Bell is pursued by Simon Blanckley at the Snetterton round of the 2007 British Touring Car Championship season.

Career summary

SeasonSeriesTeam/CarRacesWinsPolesF/LapsPodiumsPointsPosition
Pre 1996Motocross????
1997BMW Championship(BMW 325i Sport E30)???4th in class
1998BMW Championship(BMW 325i Sport E30)????
1999BMW Championship(BMW 325i Sport E30/BMW M3 E36)???1st in class
2000BMW Championship(BMW 325i Sport E30/BMW M3 E36)???1st in class
2001BMW Championship(BMW 325i Sport E30/BMW M3 E36)???1st in class
2002BMW Championship(BMW M3 E36)???2nd
2003Kumho BMW Championship(BMW M3 E46)???3rd in class (7th Overall)
2004Kumho BMW Championship(BMW M3 E46)???1st
2005Kumho BMW Championship(BMW M3 E46)???2nd in class (4th overall)
2006British Touring Car ChampionshipGeoff Steel Racing (BMW 320i E46)300000818th
2007British Touring Car ChampionshipTeam Allaboutproperty.com (BMW 320i E46)300000321st
2008British Touring Car ChampionshipArkas Racing with Sunshine.co.uk (Vauxhall Astra Sport Hatch)300000023rd
2009British Touring Car ChampionshipSunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed Motorsport (Honda Integra Type R)210000223rd
Bell driving the Arkas Racing Vauxhall Astra during the 2008 British Touring Car Championship.

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position - 1 point awarded in first race) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap - 1 point awarded all races) (* signifies that driver lead race for at least one lap - 1 point awarded all races)

YearTeamCar123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930PosPts
2006Geoff Steel RacingBMW 320iBRH 1 10BRH 2 RetBRH 3 RetMON 1 15MON 2 9MON 3 11OUL 1 RetOUL 2 13OUL 3 14THR 1 12THR 2 RetTHR 3 DNSCRO 1 16CRO 2 15CRO 3 16DON 1 14DON 2 12DON 3 10SNE 1 14SNE 2 RetSNE 3 13KNO 1 RetKNO 2 8KNO 3 10BRH 1 14BRH 2 RetBRH 3 13SIL 1 16SIL 2 RetSIL 3 1518th8
2007Team allaboutproperty.comBMW 320iBRH 1 13BRH 2 13BRH 3 11ROC 1 15ROC 2 12ROC 3 DNSTHR 1 13THR 2 RetTHR 3 15CRO 1 14CRO 2 12CRO 3 RetOUL 1 13OUL 2 14OUL 3 10DON 1 RetDON 2 20DON 3 20SNE 1 15SNE 2 12SNE 3 16BRH 1 RetBRH 2 RetBRH 3 14KNO 1 9KNO 2 17KNO 3 13THR 1 RetTHR 2 16THR 3 Ret21st3
2008Arkas Racing with sunshine.co.ukVauxhall Astra Sport HatchBRH 1 RetBRH 2 17BRH 3 16ROC 1 18ROC 2 17ROC 3 12DON 1 14DON 2 RetDON 3 RetTHR 1 17THR 2 RetTHR 3 15CRO 1 20CRO 2 16CRO 3 RetSNE 1 RetSNE 2 18SNE 3 14OUL 1 18OUL 2 13OUL 3 14KNO 1 RetKNO 2 18KNO 3 18SIL 1 17SIL 2 14SIL 3 18BRH 1 17BRH 2 16BRH 3 Ret23rd0
2009Sunshine.co.uk with Tech-Speed MotorsportHonda Integra Type-RBRH 1 10BRH 2 12BRH 3 10THR 1 13THR 2 14THR 3 13DON 1 15DON 2 15DON 3 19OUL 1 17OUL 2 17OUL 3 15CRO 1 15CRO 2 13CRO 3 11SNE 1SNE 2SNE 3KNO 1KNO 2KNO 3SIL 1 15SIL 2 15SIL 3 18ROC 1ROC 2ROC 3BRH 1 17BRH 2 RetBRH 3 Ret23rd2

External links