WYNNEWOOD, Okla. — Stephen Bell, a seven-time winner in NHRA’s Factory Stock Showdown, will break into the professional Mission Foods NHRA Drag Racing Series ranks at the season-opening NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., March 7-9. Bell will compete for a minimum of 10 races under the Elite Motorsports banner in 2025.
“I could not be more excited. To get to race Pro Stock as part of Elite Motorsports, I know the car is going to be awesome. I’m going to be the weak link in the equation and it’s going to take time to get my craft up to speed, I’m not delusional about that,” said Bell who will have 1320 LLC, the company that houses his umbrella of motorsports interests, represented on the side of his Pro Stock hot rod. “We’ll race in chunks, so hopefully I can make some real progress with consistent time behind the wheel and who knows, maybe we’ll add on some races.”
Bell has had a passion and admiration for the sport of drag racing long before he was able to get in the driver’s seat during competition.
“I grew up around racing but had no real ability to afford to race for a long time,” said Bell who also competed in the Factory X class in 2024. “In 2008 Ford came out with the Cobra Jet and then there was the Drag Pak, COPO and then by 2010, Factory classes started forming. I was fortunate enough to be able to break into the community that way. I feel like I’ve checked the box on the Factory racing so when [Elite Motorsports team owner] Richard Freeman and I started talking earlier this season, the idea of making the change really stuck.”
“Stephen is a great guy and a great businessman. I know him from being out at the races and he’s been a customer of Greg and Aaron Stanfield [Stanfield Racing Engines] for years,” said Freeman whose Elite Motorsports team is the largest in NHRA fielding eight cars in the 2024 season. “We’re excited to have him on board. He’ll be a great addition, and I think it will be a good change of pace for him. He’ll catch on quick.”
Ahead of his debut in Florida, Bell will be getting his Pro Stock license with Elite Motorsports. While he’s never been behind the wheel of a Pro Stock car, he’s hoping his experience in FSS and FX will help make the transition smooth.
“I know I’m really diving off the deep end with this Pro Stock stuff. I know it’s similar to the FX car but quicker,” said Bell, who is pictured with his two daughters. “The competition in the Pro Stock class is so close and they are some of the best drivers in the world. I’m going to have my hands full racing part-time trying to keep up with these full-time professionals.”