DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Give him good cars and Christopher Bell will win races. But in his second race? With a new team? That seemed unlikely.
kAmq6== 567:65 E96 @55D $F?52J 2?5 62C?65 9:D 7:CDE 42C66C rFA D6C:6D G:4E@CJ — :? ;FDE 9:D D64@?5 C246 D:?46 y@6 v:33D #24:?8 AF==65 9:> 324< :?E@ :ED :??6C 4:C4=6 — E@ 4=@D6 @FE 2? F?AC65:4E23=6 H66< @7 C24:?8 2E s2JE@?2 x?E6C?2E:@?2= $A665H2J]k^Am
kAm|:4926= |4s@H6== H2D E96 DFCAC:D6 s2JE@?2 d__ H:??6C 2?5 E96? q6== 62C?65 2? 62C=:6C\E92?\6IA64E65 7:CDE EC:A E@ G:4E@CJ =2?6] xE’D ;FDE E96 E9:C5 E:>6 :? }p$rp# 9:DE@CJ E96 7:CDE EH@ C246D @7 E96 D62D@? H6C6 H@? 3J 7:CDE\E:>6 H:??6CD] xE H2D AC6G:@FD=J 5@?6 :? `hch 2?5 `hd_ — }p$rp#’D 7:CDE EH@ D62D@?D]k^Am
kAm|@C6 :>A@CE2?E[ q6== 2?5 |4s@H6== 92G6 D?28865 4@G6E65 36CE9D :? E96 `e\5C:G6C A=2J@77 7:6=5[ 2 EC@F3=:?8 EC6?5 7@C >:5\A24< E62>D E92E ?665 2== ae C68F=2C\D62D@? C246D E@ A@:?E E96:C H2J :?E@ E96 492>A:@?D9:A A:4EFC6] #246 H:??6CD 62C? 2FE@>2E:4 36CE9D 2?5 E96 C6>2:?:?8 DA@ED 2C6 564:565 3J E96 A@:?ED DE2?5:?8D]k^Am
kAm“%96 5J?2>:4 92D 492?865 5C2>2E:42==J[Q qC25 z6D6=@HD<: D2:5] Q(6’C6 G6CJ 62C=J :? E96 D62D@? 2?5 :E’D ?@H EFC?65 :?E@ 2 A@:?ED C246 7@C E9@D6 =2DE 76H DA@ED] x7 J@F 5@?’E H:?[ J@F’C6 :? 2 =@E @7 EC@F3=6 3642FD6 :E’D ?@E =@@<:?8 =:<6 J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ 36 23=6 E@ 86E :? E96 A=2J@77D]”k^Am
kAmq6== 492D65 5@H? y@6J {@82?@ @? E96 H:?5:?8 s2JE@?2 C@25 4@FCD6 E@ 8C23 9:D 7:CDE G:4E@CJ] {@82?@ 925 2 4@>>2?5:?8 =625 3FE q6==[ @? 7C6D96C E:C6D E92? {@82?@[ C66=65 9:> :? 2?5 A2DD65 9:> H:E9 ;FDE @G6C @?6 =2A C6>2:?:?8]k^Am
kAm“%9:D :D @?6 @7 E96 9:89=:89ED @7 >J =:76[” q6== D2:5] “x’G6 AC6A2C65 >J H9@=6 =:76 7@C E9:D >@>6?E E@ C246 :? E96 rFA $6C:6D]Qk^Am
kAm%96 ae\J62C\@=5 ~<=29@>2? :D 2 =@?8E:>6 %@J@E2 56G6=@A>6?E 5C:G6C H9@ H@? `e )7:?:EJ $6C:6D C246D 5C:G:?8 7@C v:33D] qFE E96C6VD @?=J 7@FC rFA D62ED :? E96 @C82?:K2E:@? 2?5 E96J H6C6 7F== =2DE D62D@? H96? :E H2D E:>6 E@ >@G6 q6== E@ E96 3:8 =628F6D]k^Am
kAmw6 H2D :?DE625 =@2?65 E@ {62G:?6 u2>:=J #24:?8[ 2?5 2=E9@F89 :E H2D 2=D@ 2 %@J@E2 E62>[ E96 @?6\42C @A6C2E:@? H2D?VE ?62C=J 2D DEC@?8 2D E96 v:33D 8C@FA] %62> @H?6C y@6 v:33D =2DE DF>>6C 564:565 ?@E E@ C6?6H tC:< y@?6D[ H9@ D2:5 96 H2D 3=:?5D:565 3J E96 >@G6[ 2?5 :?DE625 3C:?8 q6== 324< :?E@ E96 7@=5]k^Am
kAmxE AFE E96 AC6DDFC6 @? q6== E@ 56=:G6C 2?5 96 5:5 27E6C 2 C@4<J @A6?:?8 2 H66< 28@] q6== H2D CF??:?8 2E E96 7C@?E @7 E96 s2JE@?2 d__ A24< H96? 96 82G6 pC:4 p=>:C@=2 E@@ 3:8 @7 2 D9@G6 2?5 EC:886C65 2 `e\42C 4C2D9 @? ;FDE E96 `cE9 =2A @7 }p$rp#VD 7:CDE C246 @7 E96 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmq6==VD H:? 3@@<6?565 2 DE2E6>6?E H66<6?5 7@C yv#VD J@F?8 5C:G6CD] %J v:33D[ E96 `g\J62C\@=5 8C2?5D@? @7 E62> @H?6C y@6 v:33D[ H@? E96 )7:?:EJ $6C:6D C246 $2EFC52J ?:89E :? 9:D 7:CDE 42C66C ?2E:@?2= D6C:6D DE2CE]k^Am
kAm|4s@H6==[ >62?H9:=6[ 324<65 FA 9:D s2JE@?2 d__ H:? H:E9 2 42C66C\36DE C@25 4@FCD6 7:?:D9 @7 6:89E9]k^Am
kAm{@82?@ 7@C E96 D64@?5 H66< 42>6 FA 6>AEJ 3FE H:E9@FE E96 5C2>2E:4D @7 9:D =2DE\=2A 4C2D9 H:E9 E62>>2E6 z6D6=@HD<: 2D E96J C2465 7@C E96 s2JE@?2 d__ H:?] {@82?@ 7:?:D965 D64@?5]k^Am
kAm“x 92E6 36:?8 E92E 4=@D6[” {@82?@ D2:5]k^Am
kAms6??J w2>=:? H2D E9:C5 E@ 8:G6 v:33D EH@ 42CD :? E96 E@A E9C66] zFCE qFD49 7:?:D965 7@FCE9 2?5 z6D6=@HD<: H@F?5 FA 7:7E9 7@C 2 5646?E %62> !6?D<6 C63@F?5]k^Am
kAmz6D6=@HD<: 2?5 {@82?@ 367@C6 E96 C246 925 E96:C 7:CDE :?E6C24E:@? D:?46 E96 s2JE@?2 d__ 4C2D9 — {@82?@ 42==65 :E “2 962=E9J 4@?G6CD2E:@?” — 2?5 E96 E62>>2E6D H:== ?@H ECJ E@ >@G6 7@CH2C5]k^Am
kAm“(6’C6 2D 8@@5 2D H6 42? 36[” z6D6=@HD<: D2:5]k^Am
kAmz6G:? w2CG:4< 7:?:D965 D:IE9 2?5 py p==>6?5:?86C[ :? 9:D 7:CDE rFA C246 D:?46 E96 a_`g D62D@? 7:?2=6[ 7:?:D965 D6G6?E9] xE H2D E96 9:896DE 7:?:D9 :? E9C66 rFA C246D 7@C z2F=:8 #24:?8[ 2? )7:?:EJ $6C:6D E62> 7@C>65 :? a_`e E92E H2?ED E@ 36 7F==\E:>6 rFA ?6IE D62D@?]k^Am
kAm#J2? !C6646 H2D ?:?E9 7@C 2 A2:C @7 E@A\`_ 7:?:D96D 2E s2JE@?2] y%v\s2F896CEJ #24:?8 ?@ =@?86C 92D 2 492CE6C E@ 8F2C2?E66 !C6646 2 DA@E :? E96 7:6=5 6G6CJ H66<[ 2?5 H:E9@FE :E E96 E62> 42?VE AC@>:D6 :E H:== C246 6G6CJ H66< E9:D D62D@?] (:E9 E9:D DE2CE[ !C6646 :D 4FCC6?E=J D6G6?E9 :? E96 A@:?ED DE2?5:?8D]k^Am
kAmr92D6 t==:@EE 282:? 925 E96 >@DE 5@>:?2?E 42C 3FE 9:D DEC62< @7 7@FC 4@?D64FE:G6 G:4E@C:6D :? A@:?ED\A2J:?8 C@25 C246D H2D D?2AA65] w6 =65 2 C246\9:89 cd =2AD 2?5 H2D @FE 7C@?E H96? 42FE:@? 7@C C2:? `d =2AD 7C@> E96 7:?:D9 7@C465 w6?5C:4< |@E@CDA@CED E@ >2<6 2 DEC2E68:4 42==]k^Am
kAmt==:@EE EC2565 EC24< A@D:E:@? 7@C ?6H E:C6D[ A:EE65 7C@> E96 =625 2?5 76== E@ `dE9] w6 H@C<65 9:D H2J FA E@ E@ 7:7E9 3FE DAF? H96? 96 C2? :?E@ E96 324< @7 zFCE qFD49] t==:@EE 7:?:D965 a`DE]k^Am
kAm“r2FE:@?D =:<6 E92E <:?5 @7 >2<6D 7@C 2 >:I65 328[ H9@ DE2JD 2?5 H9@ 8@6D[ :EVD 2 3:E @7 2 82>3=6[” t==:@EE D2:5] “x E9@F89E E:C6D H2D E96 C:89E >@G6] qFE J@F 86E 324< :?E@ EC277:4 2?5 :E ;FDE 86ED E@ 36 D@ 492@E:4 2?5 ;FDE 56A6?5:?8 @? H9@ H9@ 86ED E9C@F89 WEC277:4X 2?5 H9@ 5@6D?VE 2?5 :E 56E6C>:?6D 9@H :E D92<6D @FE]Qk^Am
Get Unlimited Access
$3 for 3 Months
Subscribe Now
Support local journalism reporting on your community
* New Subscribers Only
* Digital Subscription Only
After the initial selected subscription period your subscription rate will auto renew at $8.00 per month.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep it Clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Don't Threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be Truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be Nice. No racism, sexism or any sort of -ism that is degrading to another person.
Be Proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.