Bellm quits BRDC following Stewart vote.

Sir Jackie Stewart's 'success' in winning the backing of his fellow British Racing Drivers' Club members has prompted rival Ray Bellm to announce his resignation from the club.

According to the BRDC website, current chairman Stuart Rolt received and accepted Bellm's letter of resignation today [Monday], which explained that the former chairman - ousted in a vote when the role was temporarily suspended - wished to call time on his membership of the club and all subsidiary boards. The resignation was accepted by Rolt on behalf of the BRDC board, which stated its desire to thank Bellm for all his efforts on behalf of the BRDC as director and chairman over the past two years.

Bellm's resignation is most likely to have been triggered by the result of two votes conducted late last week, in which Stewart received the backing of the membership to remain both as president and board member. The pair had come to verbal blows over the future of British Grand Prix at Silverstone which, although both wanted the race preserved, provoked differing opinions over how best to proceed. Bellm negotiated a five-year deal with Bernie Ecclestone, but Stewart later claimed that a three-year contract, taking the race through to the end of the current Concorde Agreement, would have been more beneficial.

When Bellm was ousted from the chair of the club, he suggested that Stewart should also stand down. The Scot, however, resisted and attacked the ensuing war of words over his future as 'an attack on his integrity'. Stewart won both of last week's votes with 55 per cent support from the BRDC membership.