After stumbling somewhat while racing the previous week – Edmonton’s Jim Bell had a strong pushback during the PDRA’s Cajun Nationals last weekend….
BELL / FISCUS RACING (BFR) had a great weekend at the inaugural PDRA Cajun Nationals race at Thunder Road Raceway near Shreveport, Louisiana on April 30 – May 2, 2015.
Jim Bell came out ready to impress and rocked out with an awesome run in the first round of Precision Turbo & Engine Pro Boost qualifying. Bell’s twin turbocharged Pro Line Racing 481X-powered 1969 Chevrolet Camaro performed flawlessly, and Bell piloted the beautiful blue car to a new personal best of 3.874 at 199.61 mph which also placed him first overall for the class. The stellar eighth-mile pass included a 1.004-second 60-foot time, and Bell crossed the 330-foot mark in just 2.646 seconds.
Bell’s car rolled the beams in Q2, and as a result he was not able to make a run. He improved his top speed in Q3 with a 3.885 at 203.34 mph blast, but slipped into second overall. For his fourth and final qualifying pass, Bell was making a hard charge for the finish but lost traction towards the top end of the track. The Camaro wiggled, and Bell lifted to keep it in check. Fortunately, his Q1 pass was enough to keep him in the number two spot.
Meanwhile, teammate Kevin Fiscus battled traction issues and tire shake early in the weekend. He drove his twin turbo, PLR-powered 2012 Ford Mustang to a best ET of 3.934 at 201.22 mph during Q3 and was ranked in ninth overall after all four rounds of Pro Boost qualifying.
Driving his turbocharged Camaro – Jim Bell qualified #2 and set top speed of the meet for Pro Boost at 203.34 mph
In the first round of eliminations, Fiscus faced off against Ric Fleck and despite running a solid 3.943 at 202.82 mph pass, he was not able to advance. Bell, however, scored the win with a great 3.909 at 203.28 mph hit against Eddie Rogers. In round two, it was Bell’s turn to be paired with Fleck. An tune up for a 3.86-second run was set in Bell’s Camaro. Fleck got a small holeshot advantage, but Bell left hard, too. Bell’s car started carrying the front wheels near the 400-foot mark and drifted towards the center line. Bell stayed with it as long as he could, but eventually had to lift in order to keep from crossing the line. Bell finished approximately twelve feet behind Fleck whose run was just 0.019-seconds quicker than Bell’s 3.889 at 203.28 mph one.
“It felt great to have my Camaro running strong again,” said Bell. “We know that car is plenty capable, and to come in to the PDRA Cajun Nationals and qualify number two, then go rounds in eliminations, was very rewarding. Steve Petty did a fantastic job tuning and we appreciate his help tremendously. We’re looking to continue this positive momentum for the next race and the rest of our season.”
Both Bell and Fiscus will be competing in the Pro Mod class at the NHRA Southern Nationals at Atlanta Dragway in Commerce, Georgia on May 15th-17th, 2015 as the Bell/Fiscus Racing team continues their 23-race commitment for the 2015 season.
Posted by: BFR
Photo by: Bruce Biegler
