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Bell Family Racing's Amber Bell Finishes Runner-Up in Junior Dragster Racing at Maple Grove Raceway
Bell Family Racing's Amber Bell Finishes Runner-Up in Junior Dragster Racing at Maple Grove Raceway
16 Sept 2013
Amber Bell qualified for the Eastern Conference Finals at Bristol Dragway
Drag racing has also been the way to go for Rick Bell and his family. Instead of heading to a ballgame or taking in a movie, the family packs up and heads to the track to compete in sportsman competitions all over the Northeast.
What makes this so unique, so different from other racing families? Rick's three daughters, Amber, Heather and Allison do the majority of the driving. This year, the focus has been primarily on Amber, the youngest of the three, and her move up into a quicker junior dragster class.
Bell Family Racing looks forward to more Junior Dragster Challenge racing in the fall.
"This year has been such a great learning experience for Amber," Rick said, referring to her move to the 8.90 index class. "She qualified for the Eastern Conference Finals [at Bristol Dragway] in July in Bristol, Tennessee. Even though she went out in the first round of the national race, she went five rounds during the fun race for her age group."
Amber took an even bigger leap forward recently, finishing runner-up in her age group at the Junior Dragster Challenge at Maple Grove Raceway in Reading, Pensilvaania. Bell called it a "great day," and added that he thought it was the best moment of the season for him, both as a father and a team owner.
But Amber wasn't the only one having fun this summer. "Heather and Allison were both home this summer too, and were able to get some seat time in our new 1968 Pro Street Chevrolet Camaro," Bell said. Rick even jumped back behind the wheel in the new hot rod, and immediately found success. "I brought home a trophy the first time back in the driver's seat when I finished runner-up in my class," Bell said. But still, don't look for the patriarch of the family to consider making a full-time jump back behind the wheel. "The racing will always be for the girls," Bell said. The family is looking forward to several more Junior Dragster Challenge races during the fall, leading them up to Thanksgiving and a winter break.
Amber Bell finished runner-up in her age group at the Junior Dragster Challenge at Maple Grove Raceway
Through all the years of watching his three daughters power down drag strips across the country, Bell said he's only been nervous once. "The only time I was ever worried was when Heather licensed in the front engine dragster," Bell said. "It wasn't that I didn't think she couldn't handle it, it was just that it was a big change watching her go from an 85 mile-per-hour junior dragster to a 165 mile-per-hour front engine dragster."
All went well, squashing any concerns Bell had. He's just happy his daughters fell in love with the same sport he did. "The girls have always enjoyed being competitive with the boys," Bell said. "In school, when people find out they drag race, most boys don't believe them. It's nice to know that my girls are just as competitive and able drivers as any man at the track."
For years, K&N Filters has been a big reason for the success of Bell Family Racing. "We have been using K&N products since 2003. We know we can trust their oil and air filters to protect our most important racing asset other than our drivers, our motors," Bell said.