O'FALLON, MO (January 10, 2011) – The American Drag Racing League (ADRL) is pleased to announce that Chris Bell has been named the ADRL's Director of Technical Services after a lengthy and successful career in the sport.
Most recently, Bell worked as the crew chief for the standout Extreme Pro Stock (XPS) team of Cary and Dean Goforth.
Bell, a St. Louis-area native, was the crew chief for the two-car team in 2009 and 2010, working solely with Dean in 2008 after a proven and noteworthy career in the racing industry.
Bell, who started his professional career in drag racing in 1994, is excited about the new opportunity.
"I'm honored that I was asked to take on this role in the ADRL," Bell said. "I've been a big proponent of the ADRL from the start.
"The ADRL is a great organization and has an amazing following, and I simply hope to do my part to make it even better."
Bell made his first impact in drag racing making clutches for NHRA cars while working for Ace Manufacturing.
After starting in 1994, Bell designed a new clutch the following year for NHRA Pro Stock cars, which helped Ace to dominant the clutch industry for a number of years.
Bell continued to develop clutches for several different racing classes, contributing heavily to championships at every level and in numerous divisions.
In 2002, Bell became a crew chief for an NHRA Pro Stock team, a position he held for two years, and also worked as a consultant for several other PS teams.
From there, he excelled as the crew chief for IHRA driver Robert Patrick, which spanned the 2004, 2005 and 2006 season.
Bell first started working with Dean Goforth at the end of the 2007 season, bringing his extensive resume to the ADRL for the first time in 2008 as Goforth's crew chief.
"One of our goals in the ADRL is to have a strong technical department and bringing Chris on as the Director of Technical Services is a great move and definitely another step in the right direction," ADRL Executive Vice President Jeff Fortune said.
"He has a wealth of experience and is extremely talented, and I think this move will be well-received among everyone in the racing community, including our talented drivers and teams."
Bell will be responsible for all matters relating to the cars and everything involving the rulebook, from changes to new safety specifications.
He will also be an integral and vital part of the ADRL introducing its new Chassis Certification Program, which will debut in Baytown, Texas at Royal Purple Raceway, the site of the first race of the 2011 ADRL season on March 25-26.
"I'm very excited about being in a position that will only help the ADRL and everyone involved," Bell said.
"Having a strong technical services department will allow the ADRL to grow even more, and make it an even stronger organization. I see a lot of positives coming out of this."
