Altamonte Springs, FL/June 4, 2012 – P1 Groupe and Creation Cope Racing driver Tim Bell made his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West debut in Creation Cope Racing’s #74 MakeDirect Chevrolet Impala this past Saturday at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Bell, the road course racer turned oval track racer, has made all the changes to achieve this goal of becoming a series contender in NASCAR and Saturday’s 6th place finish in the 109 –degree heat proved that Bell has the makings to become a very successful NASCAR Driver. There were many challenges that Bell would have to overcome as he made his debut in Vegas including stiffer competition, better equipment, extreme heat and lack of knowledge of The Bullring. A man and driver of Bell’s nature and confidence embraced the challenges and worked to conquer them one by one as the day moved forward. In the two lap single file qualifying effort Bell turned in the 16th best lap meaning he would start in Row 8. After qualifying Bell went back and debriefed with Team Owner Derrike Cope and Team Manager Andy Woolgar to make any last minute adjustments and give any last minute advice. Whatever was said seemed to work for Bell when the green flag dropped.
As the race began, Bell quietly but aggressively worked his way through the pack of K&N Pro Series West competitors. These drivers are a mix of some of NASCAR’s best talent group, and the rookie was passing them left and right with thoughtful and smart passes. With the great equipment and motor CCR gave Bell to run in his debut Bell would crack the Top-10 midway through his first 200-lap race. As the race began to wind down Bell dug deep for any extra will and determination he hadn’t already used to begin to drive by a few more drivers. When the checkered flag dropped on Bell’s debut at a track he had never seen before with competition he had never run with before Bell would be tagged in the 6th finishing position, the highest finishing rookie and on the lead lap with the race winner.
“This weekend was a hot one with temperatures hovering around 112-degrees” Bell explained. “Despite the heat and my shoes melting to the pedals, I did the best I could and moved up ten places for a 6th place finish. This weekend was a new and great experience and I can’t wait to get back into the car except with some cold water next time! I learned a lot from this past weekend and Derrike was quite pleased with the result. All in all it was another productive weekend and I’m really looking forward to more.”
Creation Cope Racing’s Team Manager Andy Woolgar had nothing but positive sentiments to state after Bell’s NASCAR Debut. “Tim drove a fantastic race from start to finish and really proved that he has the ability to create a very strong career in NASCAR. Despite the 100+-degree heat and this being his career K&N Pro Series debut he was in control of his situation and fought off attacks from more experienced drivers as well as making decisive passing maneuvers to end up in an amazing 6th place by the end of the race.”
“The level of competition in K&N is fierce and every driver out there has a point to prove and is aiming for the same thing as Tim” Woolgar stated. “In Las Vegas Tim ticked off a bunch of ‘firsts’ in his career including first ever K&N Pro Series race, first time at the Bullring, first full 200 lap race completed and first in such hot conditions in a NASCAR. He has a lot to be proud of and my gratitude goes to his family and his management group for putting their faith in our program and in Tim’s ability as a race car driver.”
The festivities at the Las Vegas Bullring can be seen on SPEED Channel Thursday June 14th at 3PM EST. Set your timer as Bell gets behind the wheel of his #74 Creation Cope Racing Make Direct Chevrolet Impala.
About MakeDirect:
MakeDirect lets you buy furniture direct from the makers at up to 90% off retail. Today furniture is going from the original makers to the marketplace through a chain of middlemen (e.g. agents, importers, wholesalers and retailers). As everyone along the way adds their own markup, you and many other consumers end up paying 10 times more than the original costs. MakeDirect cuts out all the middlemen so you can buy direct from the makers at factory-direct prices. For more information or to register for an account, visit www.makedirect.com.
About P1 Groupe:
P1 Groupe Inc. is a motorsports management company representing drivers and teams from around the world. P1 Groupe offers its high-speed clientele an array of options designed to allow a dedicated focus to the most important task at hand: winning races. Through marketing, management, branding and design, P1 Groupe provides quality solutions with speed and efficiency. For more information, visit www.p1groupe.com.
Additional information may be obtained at http://www.lvms.com/bullring/, www.creationcope.com, www.timbellracing.com or www.p1groupe.com. Follow us on Twitter: @P1 Groupe @Tim_Bell6
