Bell Racing Season Spools Up!
Now fully licensed to drive Pro Modified cars, Edmonton-based Businessman/muscle car affection-ado Jim Bell is in the midst of a very busy 2013 racing season…..
The founder of JB’s Power Centres and Dix Performance North has been involved in a flurry of activities in recent times racing his unreal turbo charged Ford Mustang and sent us along a bit of a mid season synapsis.
Bell’s team is new race team on the Pro Mod scene and that includes a rather unlikely combination of one of the oldest drivers (at 68 years) with one of the youngest crew chiefs, Tyler Coots at 23 years. But due to a lot of help from a lot of people and with experience being gained almost every weekend while racing ADRL, XDRL or NHRA — Bell is fast becoming a force to be reckoned with within this unique motorsports racing genre.
Jim Bell
“First off I would like to thank Eric Dillard and Doug Patton the owners of Proline Racing Engines for providing me with their 481X engine program,” Jim cited. “It just doesn’t get any better when if comes to reliable, high HP engines that go round after round of reliable power without the high maintenance. A big thanks to Steve Petty for his expertise in tuning and Eric Dillard for his expertise in tuning. Jerry Bickel and his shop built me a beautiful high quality race car and Mike Moran developed and manufacturing the MRE Mustang CF body. Thanks to Jim Geese the R2B2 race shop for all the excellent work they have done on my car. That includes fixing the car after I scrubbed the wall in the shut down area at Bristol back in April. But those extensive modifications to the carbon fiber front end actually now provide much better site lines for the driver. Thanks too to Kevin Mutters and his team at R2B2 Motors (based in Atlanta)”.
“I have also recently had the privilege of working with Roy Hill at his driving school and his right hand man Craig Hankinson,” Jim continued. “Roy has worked with me at a local 1/8th mile track – Piedmont Dragway — and has really helped me in getting down the track. After hitting the wall at Bristol I found I was getting intimidated by my Pro Mod and found myself lifting at about 2 seconds into the run. The car pulls just under 3 G’s and not having driven anything quicker than 8.50 in the quarter mile prior to that — for sure this car is a big step up.”
“When I first started learning how to drive my car; running 7’0s and high sixes seemed to come relatively easy but when Eric and Steve stepped up the power level so the car would run 6 teens — that’s when I started having difficulty in staying with the run. But Roy is an awesome guy with a lifetime of knowledge of drag racing and I am grateful to have had the had the opportunity to work him. Craig has also been a huge help to Tyler and myself with chassis tuning, maintenance, RacePak data and a zillion other things. I want to thank Roy, Craig and some other turbo guys Dave Hance and Jim Harriston for all their guidance and encouragement.”
Jim was also quick to add a huge thanks to his beautiful live Barb for all her support and “allowing me to live the dream after working 6 to 6 1/2 days a week running my business for the last 46 years!” LOL!
Now with some solid experience under his belt — Jim, Tyler and the team plan to be darn busy the rest of the season — racing pretty well every weekend during August, September and October – including the NHRA national events at Charlotte, St. Louis and Las Vegas.
Jim Bell was the Pro Turbo winner at a recent XDRL event held in Maryland
Jim’s company will also play host to the biggest all fast door slammer race in Alberta this year; at Castrol Raceway over the Labour Day weekend in conjunction with that’s track’s Super Chevy Weekend. That feature event will highlight Pro Mod, Top Sportsman and Outlaw Street car competition.
Posted by Bruce Biegler
Photos by: Bruce Biegler & Roger Richard.
