NORMAN, Okla. and MOORESVILLE, N.C. — Audio and story by Race Chaser Online Managing Editor Jacob Seelman — Kyle Busch Motorsports photo —
For open wheel standout turned pavement late model ace Christopher Bell, 2015 has already been a season of multiple cars and surfaces — and two surprising victories as well.
The 20-year-old driver from Norman, Okla. has competed in a dirt midget, winged dirt sprint car and a pavement super late model so far this year, and while he hasn’t gotten to victory lane on the dirt as of yet, he scored the biggest win of his young career last Sunday when he parlayed a dominant run into a victory in the Hardee’s Rattler 250 at South Alabama Speedway.
After surviving a lap two crash that took out or damaged roughly half the field, Bell went on to lead 203 of the 250 laps en route to a brilliant victory, his second of the season for Kyle Busch Motorsports after taking a victory during the 2015 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway.
“It was pretty special,” Bell said of winning the Rattler. “It’s a pretty special [victory], to win a race that KBM had never won before.”
Bell also said that his starting position, combined with surviving the early-race pileup, was key to being able to get out front and stake his claim on the top spot.
“Well obviously, that was a pretty big deal to be able to get by that wreck,” Bell explained. “I got lucky really; I qualified sixth and started in the outside lane, and everybody that was on the inside lane got caught up. [Those of us], or at least me and John Hunter [Nemechek] – who started fourth and sixth – [were] able to sneak by on the outside.”
“It was a pretty big deal for us to be on the outside there where they all bottled up on the bottom, and then got a restart where John Hunter – I don’t know what happened to him – but he restarted on the bottom and I was able to beat him to turn one and it was clear sailing from there.”
For the young superstar, the event was not only the longest in his career — it was also physically demanding, with his dirt gear unequipped with the air vents and cooling systems of his pavement counterparts.
“It wasn’t too bad physically, it just got pretty hot. Most of those guys have got the air vents where my stuff is set up so I don’t have the air vent,” Bell said. “I wear the Nomex head sock so I couldn’t get to my water bottle, [but] once I [was able to get cooled off at the second break], I was ready to go for the last 50 [laps] and it was on from there.”
A year ago at this time, Bell had never run a race on pavement. Now? He has three wins with the potent KBM team and a hefty slate on tap for the remainder of the season.
“We’re just going with the flow right now. We’ve got 18 super late model races scheduled this year [with KBM] and [I’m] just kind of going where my schedule takes me right now.”
While the Midwest racer is quick to say that his schedule this year isn’t necessarily indicative of any future plans to make the full-time switch over to the pavement, he is quick to say he never expected the success he’s had as quickly as it’s come.
“It’s pretty cool to see it all come together,” Bell smiled. “Three years ago at this time, I had never won anything outside of a micro sprint race, so it’s all come along pretty quick. But like I said, it’s all a credit to the teams I’ve been with. You’re only as good as the cars underneath you – and I’m really thankful to [have been] given the opportunities that I have [so far].”
Those opportunities extend beyond his late model program with KBM — Bell will pilot a POWRi midget this weekend in Tulsa, Okla. before returning to North Carolina for next weekend’s CARS Tour opener at Southern National Motorsports Park. Dirt sprint car starts in Attica, Ohio with Tony Stewart’s All-Star Circuit of Champions are also on tap in the next couple of weeks as well for the standout driver who simply wants to race wherever and whenever he can.
“We’re kind of all over the map here for the next couple of weeks,” Bell said of his upcoming schedule. “I’m not complaining though — any seat time is okay by me.”
And while Bell has already rung the victory in following the Rattler, he did make one thing very clear regarding the unique trophy presented to the winner of the annual short track classic.
“I’m definitely not a snake person.”
He may not have an affinity for the rattling reptiles, but Bell will certainly be hunting additional trophies going forward — and if a snake is the biggest of his worries — the future is bright for the driver being hailed as motorsports’ next great star.
Listen in to an extended cut of Race Chaser Online’s interview with Christopher Bell, from the most recent episode of the Stock Car Steel/SRI Motorsports Show:
