8/27/2014
Christopher Bell
Bell Off to Calistoga for Double Duty after Leffler Memorial Runner-Up Finish!
Lonnie Wheatley, NORMAN, Okla. (August 27, 2014) – Christopher Bell will add another top-notch ride to the résumé this weekend as he takes the wheel of the Roth Motorsports No. 83 for the USAC/CRA non-wing Sprint Car portion of this weekend’s Seventh Annual “Louie Vermeil Classic” at California’s historic Calistoga Speedway.
At 18 feature wins and counting for 2014 after his most recent triumph at Sun Prairie’s Angell Park Speedway on August 17, the 19-year-old from Norman, OK, will pull double-duty in his first visit to the scenic half-mile in Northern California with the Keith Kunz Motorsports No. 71 Midget in action as well after a runner-up finish in last night’s Jason Leffler Memorial in Wayne City, IL.
The Saturday-Sunday double will mark Bell’s first time aboard the Roth No. 83 Sprint Car. “I’m looking forward to it, I know they’ve always got great equipment so hopefully we have some strong runs this weekend.”
While Bell will turn his first laps aboard the Roth machine, he’ll have a familiar ride in the Honda USAC Western Midgets portion of the Calistoga double with the Kunz No. 71 that he has driven to victory lane a dozen times already this season underneath him.
And he nearly made it 13 in the Kunz machine in last night’s Jason Leffler Memorial, settling for runner-up honors after a hard-fought battle with eventual race-winner Daryn Pittman and Bryan Clauson.
“That’s a fun little track, I love racing there,” Bell said of Illinois’ Wayne County Speedway. “It was demanding, you had to get through the holes just right in three and four. I hope the fans enjoyed it because I sure did inside the car.”
Bell goes from one of the smaller tracks he’ll race at this year to one of the biggest in Calistoga. “It’s about like going from Beloit to Belleville a few weeks ago,” Bell laughed.
In other recent outings, Bell finished a strong second in POWRi Midget action at Illinois’ Lincoln Speedway on Friday, August 15, before picking up his 18th win of the year two nights later in USAC National Midget action at Angell Park Speedway. Mixing in a winged 410 this past weekend, Bell was ninth at Attica after weather sent the Fox Brothers team east to Ohio rather than to originally planned La Salle, IL, that fell victim to rain.
In between the two Midget events on August 15 and 17, a chance at three features in one day on August 16 was reduced to zero when Mother Nature washed out double features at Macon Speedway that night. Earlier in the day, Bell’s USAC Silver Crown hopes at Springfield went up in smoke in practice before the race was later postponed by weather.
But, that sidelined Silver Crown ride did open the door for a weekend in the Roth Motorsports No. 83 at Calistoga this weekend, an opportunity Bell looks to take full advantage of.
2014 Quick Stats: 75 races, 18 wins, 39 top-fives, 50 top-tens.
Next Up:
Saturday, Calistoga Speedway (Calistoga, CA) – Roth No. 83 Non-Wing Sprint Car and Kunz 71 Midget
Sunday, Calistoga Speedway (Calistoga, CA) – Roth No. 83 Non-Wing Sprint Car and Kunz 71 Midget
Keep Track: Keep track of Christopher Bell’s on-track action including schedule and results at http://www.christopherbellracing.com/.
If you would like to keep up with all of Christopher Bell’s racing action by having press releases e-mailed directly to you, simply send your e-mail address to Lonnie Wheatley at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Penning the recurring series of “The Wheatley Chronicles” articles on racinboys.com, Lonnie Wheatley provides media, public relations and more for select tracks, drivers and events. For more information, Wheatley may be contacted at lonniewheatley@gmail.com.
Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley
Submitted By: Lonnie Wheatley
