Bell Looks Forward to Unleashing the Green Smoke Chevy at The Glen

Mooresville, N.C. (August 9, 2011) – LTD Powersport driver T.J. Bell, a veteran of the NASCAR ranks, began his racing career on road courses. His last road course event was the 24 Hours of LeMans in 2003. To say he is excited about his first NASCAR road course event would be an understatement. Bell took a preview tour of Watkins Glen with the Skip Barber Racing School, and feels he’s learned what he’ll need to know for his debut at the New York road course.

“Watkins Glen is a pretty technical road course as far as the braking zones. It’s off-camber getting into turn one. There are some really, really fast corners. It should be a lot of fun to race the Green Smoke® Chevrolet around the course this weekend,” said Bell.

The Sparks, NV, native had prepped for the course using IRacing, and a useful asset available to NASCAR drivers – peer advice.

“A really great thing about NASCAR racing is the other drivers are willing to talk to you and share their pointers. I spoke to Andy Lally, Max Papis and Casey Mears. They all talked to me about the challenge of getting around the road course in the heavier cars that don’t have the power of a prototype, for example. With the information they shared, and my time on the track in the school cars, I think I have an idea of what I’ll need to do to get the Green Smoke® Chevy up to speed quickly,” said Bell.

In addition to representing Miami-based Green Smoke®, Bell will race for a special cause. He recently formed an alliance with the Helping Early Responders Organization (H.E.R.O.). H.E.R.O.'s primary mission is to support and assist the non-profit organizations that help the men and women who are firefighters, police officers, E.M.T.s, members of our armed services and their families in their time of greatest need. Bell and Green Smoke will host these heroes as their trackside guests. The Watkins Glen H.E.R.O. will be Captain Dennis H. Knowles and the non-profit organization that H.E.R.O. will feature is Soldier’s Angels.

"Captain Dennis Knowles will be with our Green Smoke® Chevy team this week at Watkins Glen," Bell said, of his guest that is a graduate of Buffalo State College and Canisius College. "Captain Knowles has served our country for twelve years and he’s now able to be on inactive reserve. It gives him the opportunity to be an asset and inspiration to the Addison Central School District where he teaches sixth grade. Hopefully the honors he’s earned for his years of service at the World Trade Center site, in Kuwait and Afghanistan make as much of an impression on his students as they have on me.”

Since Captain Knowles is a military veteran, the No. 50 Green Smoke® Chevy will feature a special Soldiers’ Angels “Text Soldier to 20222” decal as part of the team’s alliance with H.E.R.O. Soldiers’ Angels volunteers provide aid and comfort to the men and women of the United States Army, Marines, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, veterans and their families. By texting “Soldier” to 20222, racing fans will be able to immediately donate $5 to the Soldier’s Angels non-profit organization.