T. J. Bell | |||||||
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Bell at Road America in 2012
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Born |
Sparks, Nevada |
August 25, 1980 ||||||
Achievements | 1989–1995 Nevada State Go-Kart Champion | ||||||
Awards | 2004 ARCA Re/MAX Series Rookie of the Year | ||||||
Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series career | |||||||
11 races run over 3 years | |||||||
2015 position | 49th | ||||||
Best finish | 45th (2011) | ||||||
First race | 2011 Showtime Southern 500 (Darlington) | ||||||
Last race | 2015 Bojangles' Southern 500 (Darlington) | ||||||
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NASCAR Xfinity Series career | |||||||
69 races run over 6 years | |||||||
2016 position | 39th | ||||||
Best finish | 25th (2012) | ||||||
First race | 2005 Ameriquest 300 (Fontana) | ||||||
Last race | 2016 Food City 300 (Bristol) | ||||||
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NASCAR Camping World Truck Series career | |||||||
101 races run over 12 years | |||||||
Truck no., team | No. 45 (Niece Motorsports) | ||||||
2015 position | 98th | ||||||
Best finish | 15th (2009) | ||||||
First race | 2003 Lucas Oil 250 (Mesa Marin) | ||||||
Last race | 2017 Alpha Energy Solutions 250 (Martinsville) | ||||||
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Statistics current as of April 1, 2017. |
Timothy Peter "T. J." Bell Jr. (born August 25, 1980) is an American professional driver. He has primarily competed in NASCAR competition, driving in all three national touring series. He currently competes part-time in the Camping World Truck Series, driving the No. 45 Chevrolet Silverado for Niece Motorsports.
Bell began racing at the age of eight in go-karts and went on to win six consecutive championships in the state of Nevada. In 1997, he began racing in the SCCA F2000 Championship Series and won one out of the nine races he competed in. He soon moved up to the U.S. F2000 National Championship and was named the national spokesman for the Special Wish Foundation. In 2000, he joined the CART Toyota Atlantic Series, driving for Michael Shank Racing and posting five top-five finishes. After another tun in Toyota Atlantic, Bell joined the ASCARI factory team, participating in several endurance races for the team, including the 24 Hours of Daytona, 12 Hours of Sebring, and 24 Hours of LeMans.
In 2003, Bell switched to stock car racing and began racing in the Truck Series. He drove a total of nine races in the No. 86 Defiant Clothing Chevrolet Silverado for Team Racing, his best finish a twelfth at Dover International Speedway. He also drove three races in the No. 53 truck owned by Mary Ward, but did not finish higher than 23rd. The following season, he moved to the ARCA RE/MAX Series to drive for Powertech Motorsports. He finished third in points and was named Rookie of the Year. He made eighteen starts in ARCA in 2005 and returned to the Truck Series, finishing sixteenth at Kentucky Speedway in a one-race deal with Glynn Motorsports. In the summer of 2005, he was hired by DCT Motorsports to drive their No. 36 Pontiac, earning a best finish of 22nd in eight races.