Bell Back For Another Indy Shot in Unique '24' Car

When reviewing the list of available car numbers for the Dreyer & Reinbold/Kingdom Racing entry in the Indianapolis 500, driver Townsend Bell stopped at 24.

He immediately thought of five-time Brickyard 400 winner Jeff Gordon, whose NASCAR name is synonymous with that number.

Everything seemed to click for what would become a stylish, Robert Graham-designed color scheme tribute to Gordon.

“It’s Jeff’s final season in NASCAR, wouldn’t it be cool to do something to honor him?” Bell said before Wednesday’s practice at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “Dreyer & Reinbold has run the 24 in the past. Let’s do something fun. A five-time Brickyard 400 winner, he’s No. 24, the race is on May 24.”

“I thought let’s do something in the cockpit that would be kind of a cool way to recognize what he’s accomplished and maybe a little inspiration for me on race day to remind myself of conducting my race craft in a Jeff Gordon-type manner. He’s done it right for basically his entire career. I just thought it would be cool.”

When Gordon shows up at IMS to drive the Indy 500 pace car on May 24, he’ll see himself inside Bell’s cockpit, which is lined with Gordon pictures and that familiar “24” font that has adorned NASCAR machines during a legendary 23-year career with four series championships and 92 victories.

“Last year, we had the Venice coffee shop crazy colors in there,” Bell said. “That was more of a trip out. This has a lot more performance meaning to it. It’s been fun. I’ve always been a fan of Jeff’s. He got his career really started here in Indiana. He’s from California originally, like me. So with his blessing, we’re borrowing the No. 24 in his font. I’ve met him a couple of times and I’m sure we’ll see him when he comes to drive the pace car.”

Bell’s snazzy Chevrolet-powered car zoomed up the speed chart Wednesday as he finished second on the speed chart with a fast lap of 228.969 mph.

While it’s another “one-off” race for Bell, he didn’t hesitate to trade in his announcer microphone as an NBC racing color commentator to drive in this race once again. Eight of his career 21 Verizon IndyCar Series starts have been in the Indy 500. He’s driven for six teams with a best finish of fourth for KV Racing Technology in 2009.

Last year, he qualified 25th but ran as high as second. He was still near the front in fifth place when the left-rear suspension snapped on his KV Racing Technology car with 10 laps remaining and he crashed out in 25th place.

The memory of last year’s race is vivid. He concedes the suspension wore down from contact in the race, first with Tony Kanaan and then with James Hinchcliffe later on. To come so close in the most important and only IndyCar race of the year sticks in the mind.

“It’s just painful,” Bell said, “but we were there.”

That keeps him coming back. The wisdom from experience makes him appreciate this opportunity.

“It probably means more when you get older because you realize your days are numbered,” he said.

When the 40-year-old from San Luis Obispo, California, isn’t announcing, he’s driving sports cars. This is his fourth season and he’s second in points in the GT Daytona class of the Tudor United SportsCar Championship. He’s also going to drive in the upcoming 24 Hours of Le Mans.

But Indy is special. It always has been. 

He also drove for Dreyer & Reinbold in 2008, when he finished 10th. He has one other top-10 Indy 500 run, a ninth place for Panther Racing in 2012.

“It’s been fun working with Dreyer & Reinbold, who are perfectly aligned with my focus, which is just Indy,” he said. “I’ve already seem some benefit to that versus any other time I’ve been here, when I was always the second car, the third car or the fourth car added. From a preparation and a focus and kind of structure discipline, it really is nice to be totally aligned with the team and be the priority.”

Bell humbly describes himself as “a pretty boring 40-year-old, married with two boys” and that he has “a lot of very middle-of-the-road elements to my life.”

That’s why he gets an added kick out of driving a colorful tribute to Gordon.

“Anything I can do to spice things up,” Bell said. “The only alternative is to start doing the (short) sleeves with the tattoos. Robert Graham keeps me distinct.”