Bell takes first Outlaw win at Jacksonville

Bell takes first Outlaw win for Brad/Steve Fox 53

JACKSONVILLE, Ill. — May 7, 2014 . USAC Champ for 2013 and now a World of Outlaw winner in 2014. Christopher Bell proves the benefits of being a Keith Kunz protégée as he follows fellow Kunz drivers Larson and Abreu into the Outlaw winner circle.

Chris Bell with the Brad & Steve Fox #53

Chris Bell with the Brad & Steve Fox #53

Through the early qualifying it looked like Schatz would be the pace setter after laying down the fast time during qualifying while Bell in the #53 posted 9th quick .
Heat four and with a strong second to Brad Sweet, then into the dash where the Oklahoma youngster took the honors and in the process pole for the 40 lap a main.

The night was warm, tricky track and plenty of wind to worry the teams. Going into the Jacksonville meet series leader Joey Saldana would have been hoping for better than his wretched start when he rolled during hot laps. The crash forced the Motter Equipment #71 driver to go to the backup car and try to recover lost ground. Saldana would recover some points with his 12th place feature finish.

Saldana wheeling out the replacement car at jacksonville

Saldana wheeling out the replacement car at jacksonville

The field for the Feature was set Bell and Schatz on the front with Pittman and Wayne Johnson in row two. Any doubt or worries on how Bell would handle the pressure from Schatz at start was soon yesterday news when the #53 car of Brad and Steve Fox blasted away from Schatz.

On the tight high banked quarter mile track traffic would soon provide challenges for Bell and opportunities for Pittman and Schatz.
Bell showed all the skill and composure of a seasoned Outlaw as he worked his way past the traffic, high and wide and never looking like he was in danger.

Three cautions , lots of chances for the chasing pack but on each restart Bell was up to it and the manner in which we controlled the race suggest that this will not be his last Outlaw win .

Leading from flag to flag with Pittman, Schatz, Sweet and Darrah all hard it, great tribute to Bell’s talent and the preparation of the #53 Brad and Steve Fox car.

At the post race interviews 

Christopher Bell “It’s a dream come true,” Bell said. “It’s been such an up-and-down year for me, especially in this 53 car. We’ve been really good, but we’ve also been really bad. Last week we went to Eldora and we were terrible. We were fortunate to make the show but we were lapped traffic both nights. To come here and get a win, that’s somethinan g special. It’s always been a lifelong dream to be able to win Outlaw race so it’s a special night I’ll never forget.”

Daryn Pittman ““Once we got to lapped cars, Chris drove on the outside of them, trying to get by a couple,” said Pittman, the defending series champion from Owasso, Okla. “He was way faster five laps before he got to them, then by the time he got to them they were running the same pace. I kind of got down there before he did. I’m sure he knew it was there, but he was still trying to get by some lapped cars.
“Hats off to him, obviously he’s an extremely talented young kid and not too bad for a couple of Oklahoma boys tonight. I’m pretty proud to run second to him. It’s no surprise to anybody in the pits that he was going to win an Outlaw show, if not this year then really soon.”

Donny Schatz “We were good through the middle and the bottom and I wasn’t going to get up and toy with the fence,” said Schatz, a five-time champion from Fargo, N.D. “I knew I couldn’t run 40 laps without hitting it so I had to be smarter than that. … We kind of found the rubber first but we were in the right spot at the wrong time. Those guys found it, too, under yellow.”

Watch Christopher Bell take his first Outlaw win https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kItwNnlrdo
A-Main – (40 Laps): 1. 53-Christopher Bell [1] [$6,000]; 2. 9-Daryn Pittman [4] [$3,500]; 3. 15-Donny Schatz [2] [$2,000]; 4. 49-Brad Sweet [8] [$1,800]; 5. 4-Cody Darrah [5] [$1,500]; 6. 29-Kerry Madsen [10] [$1,400]; 7. 11-Steve Kinser [13] [$1,350]; 8. 7S-Jason Sides [6] [$1,300]; 9. 83-David Gravel [24] [$1,250]; 10. 11K-Kraig Kinser [16] [$1,200]; 11. 44-A.J. Bruns [9] [$900]; 12. 71M-Joey Saldana [17] [$800]; 13. 1S-Logan Schuchart [18] [$700]; 14. 9W-Jac Haudenschild [7] [$650]; 15. 82-Bryan Clauson [19] [$600]; 16. 18-Ian Madsen [21] [$550]; 17. 9X-Paul Nienhiser [14] [$500]; 18. 1-Sammy Swindell [20] [$500]; 19. 21-Brian Brown [22] [$500]; 20. 77X-Wayne Johnson [3] [$500]; 21. 12-Jerrod Hull [12] [$500]; 22. 9P-Parker Price-Miller [15] [$500]; 23. 99-Brady Bacon [23] [$500]; 24. 51-Paul McMahan [11] [$500]. Lap Leaders: Christopher Bell 1-40. KSE Hard Charger Award: 83-David Gravel [+15]

The World of Outlaws STP Sprint Car Series is back in action Friday night at Wilmot (Wis.) Raceway and on Saturday at Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind.

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