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Christopher Bell returns home to Oklahoma and midget racing
3/23/2018
RACINBOYS EXCLUSIVE By Lee Spencer -- Christopher Bell is rediscovering a long-lost love this weekend—midget racing.
After winning his second Chili Bowl Nationals at Tulsa Expo Raceway in January, Bell hung up his open-wheel helmet to concentrate on his new NASCAR assignment with Joe Gibbs Racing in the No. 20 Toyota in the Xfinity Series.
PHOTO CREDIT: @Keith Kunz Twitter
But this weekend, the Norman, Oklahoma native will reunite with team owner Keith Kunz in the Sooner State for the Turnpike Challenge at I-44 Riverside Speedway in Oklahoma City.
“The track is a micro-sprint racetrack—they race micro-sprints—but for the last couple of years now they’ve been having a midget race there,” Bell said. “I’m going to be driving for Keith Kunz Motorsports. It’s a POWRi National Midget event.
“So, it’s kind of they’re biggest event of the year. It’s cool that they were able to get a midget show and I’m able to go back and run it.”
Bell wasn’t sure he would have the opportunity to return to I-44 when he was selected to drive the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota in the Xfinity Series. The first of a two-week break for the Xfinity tour allowed Bell to return to his racing roots.
“Last year, with the truck schedule, there’s a huge break from Atlanta to Martinsville, so it worked out,” Bell said. “I remember I was at Oklahoma City last year watching Auto Club and thinking, ‘Man, if I move up to Xfinity next year I’m not going to be able to race it.’ But luckily, the way the schedule fell we have a break and I get to race dirt cars.”
Bell is in his fourth full season of NASCAR competition. Unfortunately, the closest home game for Bell is Texas Motor Speedway, where he’ll compete on April 7. But there’s something exciting about performing in front of friends and family.
“Chili Bowl is somewhat of a home race and it draws a huge crowd,” Bell said. “I don’t get to race in Oklahoma very often, so it’s cool going home but (this) week I get to go to the actual race track where I first drove a car. I ran locally for a long time and kind of cut my teeth racing there. And it’s in Oklahoma City—literally 15-minutes away from my childhood home. So it’s just special.”
Bell’s rookie stock car season has been solid despite a slight setback at Auto Club Speedway—where he made his track debut last Saturday. Bell started on the pole and led four laps before he spun just before the 100-lap mark. Michael Annett clobbered the No. 20 car just after the race returned to green but Bell was able to soldier on to a 21st-place finish.
Still, in his prior three starts, Bell’s worst finish was fourth. He has a remarkable fourth-place average qualifying effort and is currently fourth in the NASCAR Xfinity Series standings.
“It’s been good—no, actually it’s been great,” Bell said. “We’ve had great results this year but I want to win. Everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing wants to win and we’re winless so far in the Xfinity Series in 2018. We’re so close to winning but yet there’s always a guy that has us beat. So we got to get a little bit better.”
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