Home Race Means there a Lot To Do For Matt Bell

Home Race Means there is a Lot To Do For Matt Bell

Salinas, Calif. (6 July 2011) – The to-do list for Matt Bell ahead of this weekend couldn’t be more comprehensive:

Race in both the Rolex Series and Continental Tire Sports Car Series-check. Race in home event-check. Look to defend most recent race victory with another run to the top-check. Score another pole after doing so the most recent time he raced there-check. Have tons of friends and family on hand–check. Return to Daytona Prototype and debut with new team-check.

So, as GRAND-AM returns to Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca, California racer Matt Bell is thrilled to head to his home track located just over an hour south of where he resides in Los Altos, California. Many family and friends in attendance will have an extra reason to cheer Bell on as he returns to double-duty this weekend racing in both the Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge Series and the prestigious Rolex Series Daytona Prototype class.

In addition to his full-time program behind the wheel of the No. 9 Stevenson Motorsports Camaro GS.R in Continental Tire Challenge competition, Bell will also team up with Australian racer James Davison in the No. 23 Michael Shank Racing entry for the Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Powered by Mazda to mark his third Daytona Prototype start of the year.

Bell is no stranger to the 2.238-mile road course, having gained years of experience at the circuit growing up not far from the track. When GRAND-AM last visited the facility in 2009, Bell landed the pole in his first GS start at the track with a record-breaking lap time of 1:36.277 seconds in the No. 96 Turner Motorsport BMW M3 to establish a new GS class track record. Bell would lead 23 laps around the circuit before engine problems ended the team’s promising day early.

Ever the strong qualifier, Bell has put the No. 9 Camaro within the top-10 on the starting grid in every race this year except for at Road America. But it was no matter, as Bell opened the race from 12th only to charge forward to take the lead before turning the car over to co-driver John Edwards as the duo went on to score a debut win for the Camaro.

Carrying the momentum of the win at Road America, Bell will look to use his knowledge and expertise of Laguna Seca to put the No. 9 Camaro up front once again.

“The team did an unbelievable job at Road America,” said Bell of his first victory of the season. “John and I had so much fun, and it was such a big weekend for Camaro and Stevenson Motorsports. To come to my home track fresh off that win is very exciting and hopefully we can have a similar result this weekend.”

Bell will also make his third run in a Daytona Prototype this year having joined Doran Racing at the Rolex 24 At Daytona as well as the Sahlen’s Six Hours of the Glen which saw Bell take the lead of the race on his way to finishing sixth with co-drivers Brian Frisselle and Henri Richard.

Bell continues to add impressive marks to his growing race resume and looks for another strong run in the Daytona Prototype this weekend. Although Bell and Davison will each take their first laps around the track in a Daytona Prototype, both have tremendous experience when it comes to the 11 twists and turns the track presents and will look for a solid result in the No. 23 Michael Shank Racing machine.

“I’m thrilled to be back in a Daytona Prototype this weekend and for the opportunity to join Michael Shank Racing,” said Bell. “It will be a busy couple of days with having to go back and forth between the two different classes, but I’m really looking forward to it. Mike Shank has developed a great operation and hopefully James (Davison) and I can deliver a strong result on Saturday.”

Bell begins his busy race weekend with a promoter test day for both the Continental Tire Challenge and Rolex Series on Thursday, July 7 followed by official practice and qualifying on Friday. The Continental Tire Challenge 2.5-hour race is set to begin Saturday, July 9 at 10:45 AM local time followed by the 2.75-hour Rolex Series race beginning at 2:30 PM local time.

The Continental Tire Sports Car Festival Powered by Mazda will broadcast on tape delay Sunday, July 10 at 4:00 PM (ET) on SPEED.

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Matt Cleary
Sunday Group Management
media
http://www.sundaymanagement.com
317.908.2975 (m)


Based in Indianapolis, Sunday Group Management is a leading motorsports management and communications consulting firm.

Sunday Group Management works with clients in a variety of motorsports categories, including NASCAR Sprint Cup driver AJ Allmendinger, Riley Technologies, GRAND-AM Rolex Sports Car Series organization Michael Shank Racing, Continental Tire, and several teams and drivers in Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge competition.

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