Lonnie Wheatley, NORMAN, Okla. (December 30, 2014) – Christopher Bell finished off a 2014 season that included an astounding 27 feature wins in 108 events just ten days ago in Du Quoin, IL.
Now, the 20-year-old sensation from Norman, OK, is ready to embark upon an even bigger 2015 season with the Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown that kicks off this weekend at Cocopah Speedway near Yuma, AZ.
It’s a fast-paced racing schedule that the talented racer relishes.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way,” Bell says. “I want to do 120 races this year if it’s possible.”
Bell will get a healthy jump start on that with a busy January slate of events that opens with the five-race Winter Heat series at Cocopah Speedway followed up by the Chili Bowl Midget Nationals in Tulsa, OK, and then a five-race Sprint Car stint in Australia.
Set to pilot Brandon Berryman’s All-Pro Auto Reconditioning No. 31b JR1-chassis at Cocopah’s Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown, Bell looks to add some notches to the “W” column that included his first World of Outlaws triumph among three 410-ci Sprint Car triumphs in 2014.
“I want to get more Sprint Car wins this year, that’s one thing I want to improve upon,” Bell says.
Eight of Bell’s 27 overall wins during the 2014 season came in the Sprint Car ranks, with four ASCS 360-ci scores and a non-wing 410-ci score in addition to his winged 410-ci triumphs. Bell visited victory lane another 18 times in Midget competition and once in a handful of asphalt late model starts.
Twenty-seven triumphs very nearly became 28 in the December 20 POWRi Midget “Battle at the Center”. Bell rallied from the tenth starting position and was reeling in the leader in the closing rounds only to get collected in a melee with lapped traffic.
“We drew the pole for the heat, which wasn’t good, we couldn’t get any passing points,” Bell explains of the Battle at the Center. “That put us back a few rows in the Qualifier and we just never really got going, we were only able to get up to third.”
Starting outside the fifth row in the main event, Bell wasted little time moving the Keith Kunz No. 71 Toyota-powered Midget through the field. And as the laps clicked off, Bell was up to second and closing in on race-leader Bryan Clauson.
“We were coming, the car was great,” Bell says.
It wasn’t meant to be though, as a tangle with lapped cars took out both the leaders with less than ten laps to go.
Bell looks to bounce back with a strong Winter Heat aboard Berryman’s No. 31b that he drove to a Short Track Nationals triumph in October, his biggest payday to date.
And Cocopah Speedway is a place that Bell has been fast at, with a pair of runner-up finishes in ASCS National Tour competition last February.
This time, Bell will be looking for the top step of the podium during the five-race Winter Heat series that kicks off this Friday night.
2014 Quick Stats: 108 races, 27 wins, 58 top-fives, 73 top-tens.
Next Up:
“Winter Heat Sprint Car Showdown” Winged 410-ci Sprint Car action at Cocopah Speedway near Yuma, AZ, on January 2-3, 6, 9-10 in the Brandon Berryman No. 31b.
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.