Lonnie Wheatley, NIXA, Mo. (February 8, 2019) – When last month’s 33rd Annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals fired off at the Tulsa Expo Raceway, Kyle Bellm planned on little more than observing a night or two of the prestigious race’s action.
That all changed with a late-night call on Monday, January 14, the same night the event started.
“The phone rang and they asked if I would be interested in driving their car in Friday’s qualifying night,” Bellm said of the call from the Hunt Brothers Racing No. 10b Next Level Metal Midget team. “It was a no-brainer, I jumped at. it.”
The decision proved a wise one, with the accomplished Sprint Car shoe racing his way into Friday night’s feature after finishes of fourth in both heat race and qualifying race competition and then a “B” Main triumph.
“Then we were fast in the ‘A’ Main, we passed a few cars until another car spun out in front of us,” Bellm recalls.
Bellm was then contending for a transfer position in his Saturday night feature only to have the run literally cut short by a cut tire.
“If things go a little different there, I feel like we could have had a good chance to advance another couple of features at least,” Bellm says.
It ranks as perhaps Bellm’s best Chili Bowl outing yet.
“For a last minute deal, I was really happy with how it went,” Bellm said afterward. “I got more comfortable with the car each time out and we gained speed every time.”
Bellm and the family owned No. 14k Sprint Car team are currently getting things ready for a 2019 season that includes a slate of selected Regional and National ASCS events along with a handful of events with a newly acquired 410-ci powerplant.
“I’m excited about this year,” Bellm states. “Our 360-ci program is strong, I feel like we’re always capable of being a top-five car anywhere we go. And now with the 410, that gives us a few more scheduling options during the year.”
Bellm’s 2019 schedule of events will be unveiled soon.
2018 Quick Stats: 31 races, 3 wins, 14 top-fives, 19 top-tens.
Up Next: 2019 schedule to be determined.
Keep Track: Keep track of Kyle Bellm’s on-track action including schedule and results at http://www.kylebellm.com/, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/KyleBellmRacing?fref=ts or on Twitter at @kylebellmracing.
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Article Credit: Lonnie Wheatley