Long Beach: Justin Bell preview

Justin Bell prepared to three-peat in Trans-Am
Derhaag to debut new livery at Long Beach

DELRAY BEACH, FL -- Justin Bell concluded the 2001 Trans-Am Series season with a 2nd-place finish at Mid-Ohio and back-to-back wins at Laguna Seca and Houston. Looking ahead to the 2002 season opener at the Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 14th, the AmeriSuites Rookie-of-the-Year is poised to string three wins in a row in the #40 www.711.tv Corvette.

"It's been such a tough winter all around in terms of sponsorship required for this season, as I'm sure it has been for everybody," asserted Bell. " However, coming off the emotional high at the end of last season, I can tell you for sure, I'm aggravated just enough to go all out and win the thing."

According to Trans-Am, should Bell win at Long Beach, it will be only the second time in the 37-year history of the series that the winner of the last race of the previous season won the first race the following year. George Follmer set that the record when he won in 1970 -1971.

Derhaag Motorsports team owner Jim Derhaag is much more cautious with his optimism about their chances at Long Beach.

"We ended the 2001 season very strong," said Derhaag. " We're looking to go to Long Beach and have a strong finish, recognizing that everybody will be gunning for us. We're going there to do the best we can."

Derhaag Motorsports Debuts New Team Paint Scheme

Justin Bell and teammate Simon Gregg will debut the team's new livery at Long Beach. Bell and Gregg will both have light blue and orange schemed cars. As it was last year, Justin's car is primarily orange, but now sports a light blue front fascia, center stripe and rocker panels. Gregg's is the same theme, but the colors are reversed. The color selection was inspired by the Gulf Racing sports cars which Justin's father, Derek Bell, drove to victory in the 1970's.

Bell adds www.711.tv as a primary marketing partner for Long Beach. In addition to XtremeLens, the flagship product of Steele Technologies, Justin Bell Racing welcomes J.K. Harris, the tax accounting firm, and Sir Speedy Whittier as support marketing partners.

-jbr-