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Bell Wants to End 2015 with a NASCAR Win on Asphalt

OORESVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 17, 2015) - Christopher Bell has proven his skills in open-wheel cars on dirt tracks around the United States, and even in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (NCWTS) with his victory at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio in July. The one thing he has not been able to do yet is win a race on pavement in his No. 54 JBL Tundra. This will be his last chance in the 2015 season, but he will have 22 opportunities (on pavement) next year when he competes full time for Kyle Busch Motorsports (KBM).

The six races he has run so far in the NCWTS have been valuable learning experiences for the 20-year-old Oklahoma native. Figuring out the fastest way around new tracks in a vehicle with vastly different aerodynamics than anything he had driven before has given Bell a huge advantage preparing him for 2016. With a superspeedway and several mile-and-a-half starts under his belt, he will be prepared for the challenges ahead of him next season.

Of course Bell has already faced new challenges this season head on with very impressive results. In just his first NCWTS start in June at Iowa Speedway in Newton, he scored a top-five finish. Bell hung on to finish 17th at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, which was notable since he had never raced on a track bigger than a mile, and had no practice or qualifying laps at Kentucky due to rain. In just his third start Bell led 106 laps to take his first checkered flag at Eldora, his first win in any series at the legendary dirt track. At Las Vegas he was two laps short on fuel which cost him a top-five finish, and a penalty at Talladega while running second may have cost him the win. Two weeks ago he finished eighth at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth.

Bell's goal since the Eldora race has been to win a truck race on pavement in 2015. He has one shot left to accomplish that goal, Friday night in the NCWTS season finale at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway. He hopes to be in Victory Lane while his KBM teammate, Erik Jones, is on the stage celebrating the team's first Driver's Championship. That is something Bell can set as a goal for next season.

Christopher Bell, Driver of the No. 54 NCWTS JBL Tundra:
Homestead will be your seventh and final truck race of the season. What have you learned about racing a truck since your first start at Iowa in June?
"I learned how important patience is and how fast things can change. The racing I grew up doing didn't have pit stops or anything to cycle the running order, except for what happens under green. I've learned there is a lot more than just racing that affects the outcome of the race. I've also learned a lot about the aerodynamics of the Tundras. It's certainly very different than a winged sprint car or midget, so that has taken some getting used to for sure."

How much has Kyle Busch helped you this season as far as advice about the tracks and how the trucks handle?
"It's big to have someone so successful available to get advice from and use as a resource. Kyle is always available if I call him with questions, even if he's not at the same track where we are. A few times this year he has even gotten on the radio and talked to me during the race, which is really cool. You can't really tell someone how to drive, you've got to figure it out yourself, but it's nice to be able to have advice when you need it."

What are your racing plans during the off-season?
"I'm going to be doing a lot of dirt racing between sprint cars and midgets. I'm running the Turkey Night Grand Prix in Paris, Calif., the Snowball Derby in Pensacola, Fla., in KBM's late model, then indoor races with the midget during PRI weekend, then DuQuoin, Ill., Yuma, Ariz., with the sprint car and the Chili Bowl in mid-January in Tulsa before the NASCAR season starts again in February."

Eddie Troconis, Crew Chief of the No. 54 NCWTS JBL Tundra:
What is your outlook for race at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend?
"This is the final race of the year, and Christopher's seventh truck race. He ran well in Vegas and Texas, but I think Homestead will really suit his driving style because he can run the top lane. He's really going to enjoy this race. I love Homestead because it's a driver's kind of track, and we have a great driver. This is a big weekend for KBM with the Driver's and Owner's Championship on the line with Erik Jones, and the No. 54 team won the Homestead race last year. I feel it's going to be a good weekend and we just have to do the best we can to cap it off."

Christopher Bell's No. 54 JBL Tundra:
KBM-030: The No. 54 JBL team will race KBM-030, for Friday's NCWTS 200 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Bell raced this Tundra at Las Vegas last month where he finished 14th after running out of fuel with two laps remaining, and most recently at Texas where he finished eighth.

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