Christopher Bell Eyes Oval Nationals after Strong Asphalt Weekend!

Lonnie Wheatley, NORMAN, Okla. (November 5, 2014) – Finishing off what has already been a strong 2014 season in even stronger fashion, Christopher Bell added another win this past weekend to run his season total to 25 victories.

While the win didn’t come in what he expected for the weekend, the 19-year-old from Norman, OK, settled for a close runner-up finish in Sunday’s 150-lap asphalt Late Model event that came down to the final round at Sophia, North Carolina’s Caraway Speedway.

The unexpected victory came after a strong practice session on Friday in the Kyle Busch Motorsports No. 52 Late Model.

“This guy came running up to me and said, ‘Hey, my driver didn’t show up, do you want to run my Midget?’,” Bell explained. 

The answer was what one would expect, with Bell jumping into the Butch Lamb-owned HPD Eastern Midget and racing to victory lane in the Friday night feature. 

“He had the best car in the pits, no question about that,” Bell says.

With victory number 25 of the season in the books, Bell had his sights set on number 26 in the Late Model 150-lapper that was pushed back from Saturday to Sunday due to weather.

With the top ten in qualifying redrawing for starting position, Bell gridded the event fifth with the tenth-qualifier starting directly in front of him in third.

“I got hung up behind him, I’m not sure if he missed a shift or what, but by the end of the first lap we were back to ninth,” Bell explains.

Bell was soon on the move though on the half-mile, paperclip asphalt oval.

“It was a lot like Martinsville, bumper-to-bumper right around the bottom.”

Up to sixth shortly after the start, Bell made his way to the front of the pack with more than 60 laps to go.

“I’d passed the 74 car for sixth.  Then I got out front and I could see him picking off car after car, he was on us when we had the final restart after about 120 laps,” Bell explains.

Bell took off on the start as he tried to knock down his second consecutive win in asphalt Late Model action after an October 18 score at Durham, North Carolina’s Orange County Speedway.

“We had some distance on him and then got to traffic,” Bell comments.  “A lapped car cut down on me getting into the corner and cut the right front.”

“It was pushing so bad after that, I was practically stopping in the corners to keep him from getting under me,” Bell explains.  “We held him off until the last lap, he did what he had to do and moved me.”

Given the circumstances, Bell was pleased with the strong run.

“There was nothing I would have changed, they gave me a great car and we had a great run,” Bell concludes.

Getting more comfortable by the week in the asphalt ranks, Bell is set for one more outing this year in the Kyle Busch Motorsports entry at North Carolina’s Southern National Motorsports Park on November 15.

But, before that, it’s back to the dirt this weekend aboard the Roth Motorsports No. 51T Non-Wing, 410-ci Sprint Car for the 19th Annual Oval Nationals at Perris Auto Speedway in Perris, CA.

Bell will also compete in Thursday’s night’s USAC West Coast 360-ci portion of the event before plunging into USAC’s prestigious $20,000-to-win Oval Nationals on Friday and Saturday.

“Turkey Night last year is the only time I’ve ever been to Perris,” Bell explains.  “This will be my first time there in a Sprint Car, so it’ll be a challenge for sure.”

“Going from an asphalt late model to a wingless Sprint Car at Perris is about the polar opposite,” Bell says.

But for a racer that makes a habit of jumping from Midget to Winged Sprint Car to Wingless and then asphalt Late Model on a regular basis, don’t expect the transition to take too long.  In fact, the Thursday 360-ci portion could work to Bell’s advantage.

“I’m glad we have that race, that’ll give me some laps to get adjusted to it and then hopefully be ready to contend when the money is on the line.”

2014 Quick Stats:  98 races, 25 wins, 53 top-fives, 66 top-tens.

Next Up:

Thursday, Perris Auto Speedway (Perris, CA) – Roth Motorsports No. 51T Non-Wing 360-ci USAC West Coast Sprint Car

Friday and Saturday, Perris Auto Speedway (Perris, CA) – Roth Motorsports NO. 51T Non-Wing 410-ci USAC Sprint Car ($20,000-to-win Oval Nationals)

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.

Battle at the Border Next for Reutzel after Wingless Podium Finish!

Lonnie Wheatley, CLUTE, Texas (November 5, 2014) – Taking advantage of an idle weekend on the ASCS National circuit, Aaron Reutzel clipped his wings this past weekend to gear up for some season-ending money races in the topless ranks.

And Reutzel tuned up in nice fashion aboard the BC Fundz/Wren Motorsports No. 87 Triple X Sprint Car by racing to a runner-up finish in Saturday night’s USAC Southwest main event at Queen Creek’s Arizona Speedway.

“It felt good to get some good laps in before Western World and the Las Cruces race,” Reutzel explained in reference the $7,500-to-win Western World Championships at Canyon Speedway Park on November 20-22 and the $10,000-to-win Thanksgiving Bash at Las Cruces’ Southern New Mexico Speedway on November 28-29.

Before that though, Reutzel and the Momentum Racing Suspensions/Danny Sander Construction/ButlerBuilt team has business to finish up with the ASCS National Tour, beginning with this weekend’s Battle at the Border events at El Paso on Friday and then Las Cruces on Saturday.

“The last two weekends of ASCS racing at Short Track Nationals and Devil’s Bowl have been good for us, so hopefully we can finish up strong,” Reutzel said.

Running wingless this past weekend for the first time since a Freedom Tour outing in August, Reutzel explained that, “I was trying to get a feel for it again.”

The Clute, TX, racer got off to a good start by driving the Basic One Services/Lone Star Hydro Maintenance/Wright Way Logistics machine to a heat race win, earning a second row inside starting position for the $2,000-to-win main event.

“The track was heavy in the heat race, I didn’t think it would slick up that much,” Reutzel explains.  “I was wrong, it slicked off big-time and I was way too loose.”

Still, Reutzel stayed in the mix throughout before ultimately taking the checkered flag in second behind reigning USAC Southwest champion R.J. Johnson.

“R.J. kinda caught me sleeping when he slid by,” Reutzel says.  “He wasn’t any faster than us, we kept up after he got by.  I just made one mistake and he took advantage.”

“We have to feel pretty good about second though,” Reutzel continues.  “Those guys run wingless all the time and go to that track quite a bit.  I haven’t run without the wing in a while and it’s the first time I’d ever seen that track, so we’ll take a second place.”

With seven overall wins to his credit this year including three on the ASCS National Tour, Reutzel will try to bolster the total on the border this weekend as he keeps a grip on his top ten ranking in National points.

2014 Quick Stats:  58 races, 7 “A” Main wins, 28 top-fives, 38 top-tens.

Up Next: ASCS National Tour Battle at the Border events at El Paso Speedway Park on Friday night and then Southern New Mexico Speedway near Las Cruces on Saturday night.

Keep Track:  Keep track of Aaron Reutzel’s on-track action including schedule and results at http://www.aaronreutzelracing.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Aaron-Reutzel-Racing/117666254913127 or on Twitter at @AaronReutzel.  You can also e-mail Aaron at aaronreutzel@yahoo.com.

If you would like Aaron Reutzel Racing press releases e-mailed directly to you, 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.