BY NATASHA PINTO
With the Texas sun beating down on the 5.5 kilometers of asphalt that make up the Circuit of The Americas (COTA), it was head down and full focus for the next 45 minutes. Having finished on the podium in race one the day before, a win in race two would make the weekend sweeter.
And so it did.
Putting the #99 Copeland Motorsports car across the line first, regardless of being under caution, meant that Jaxon Bell had just secured his first GR Cup Series career win.
Package his determination and confidence with overcoming the scorching heat and competition, and it's a weekend he will never forget.
The COTA victory reinforced Bell’s calling as a driver. After deciding to pursue a career in racing only two years ago, the Californian hopes to carry on doing something he loves while making a name for himself.
Where it all began
Growing up at the track allowed the 21-year-old to surround himself with the sights and sounds of watching his father, Townsend Bell, compete at a top level in the sport.
“I was always drawn to racing. Especially going to the Indy 500 every year and seeing how big of a spectacle that race was, was what got my interest to begin with,” Bell said.
Though racing was in the family, it wasn’t pushed onto him. The love and interest were simply a part of his DNA.
Having no intention of racing yet, Bell packed up and moved to North Carolina upon graduating high school. Knowing he wanted to work in motorsports, this was a fruitful starting point.
He spent time working with a NASCAR truck team until he looked at some of the drivers and said, “there’s no reason why I can’t do this at the same level they are.”
After giving it some thought, Bell put his name down for the Three Day Racing School program at the Skip Barber Racing School. By the third day, he understood what he could do in a Formula 4 car, slowly warming up to the fact he could one day turn pro.
“I was fortunate enough to find the money to run the whole season of Skip Barber the following year and have some success in the series,” said Bell.
At that point, it was about proving himself while solidifying the confidence of being a racer and moving up in his career. Bell won six races and finished third in the championship during the 2023 Skip Barber season.
Making the most of it
Initially, deciding to get into a race suit without previous years of go-karting experience was tough. However, using the tools he now has to compete at a high level mattered more.
“I spent a lot of time on simulators as a kid and that’s how I bridged the gap with not being able to race go-karts,” Bell noted. “The simulator is really what I attribute to how quickly I was able to pick up certain skills.”
Setting aside fear factors and spatial awareness – some of the bigger realities that being on a simulator can’t teach you – it's still a tool drivers use regularly. It allows Bell to familiarize or refresh himself with how a track flows, including some of those he currently races at.
Moving over to sports cars and racing in a competitive series like the GR Cup allows for fiercer competition but also chaos to ensue on track. With around 30 cars competing in a given session, drivers battle to stay out of trouble while simultaneously trying to put or keep the rest of the grid behind them.
“There are drivers in the series who are on different levels and have had different experiences, [but the GR Cup is] a place where you can prove and develop yourself,” Bell said.
The pursuit to be at the top, however, is not always easy. Juggling the fine margin of error teaches racers how hard to push themselves and their car while making sure not to overdrive it. That could be the difference between starting in third or thirteenth.
Racing is also a mental game. Keeping emotions in check and adjusting to situations as they come can change the outcome of a race or recovery.
Bell said being met with those challenges has taught him “a lot about racing for a championship and how consistent and level-headed you have to be over the year.”
Getting strapped into the car puts the focus on persistence and wanting to give himself the next opportunity to go racing, making every weekend count. Bell currently sits fourth in the GR Cup Series championship with two race weekends left this season.
Anticipating tomorrow
Having held on to many racing memories from his spectating years, Bell looks to grow that collection. This time around, though, from the driver’s seat.
With a season in open-wheel vehicles to now racing sports cars, keeping an open mind about where his career can go is at the forefront. Motorsports still comes with the reality of piecing together sponsorships and finding ways to put himself in a car for the following year, but also “doing the best [he] can with the opportunity [he has presently].”
Aside from hoping to take part in the Indy 500, one of Bell’s goals is to race the 24 Hours of Daytona with his father as a teammate, giving him another reason to stick to the sports car path.
His father’s successes throughout his career have made Bell realize the difficulty of accomplishing what he did. Keeping up the family name is motivation towards collecting his own achievements and more.
Bell hopes his talent and success behind the wheel will be part of his legacy when it's all said and done. Nonetheless, it’s also the reputation of being friendly, kind and personable that he hopes will go down in history.
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For now, he’ll focus on keeping his foot on the pedal knowing a driver’s stint in motorsports isn’t always guaranteed.
“You never know when your last race is going to be. It's hard to find the opportunities to go racing nowadays, so you have to cherish the ones you have in front of you,” he said.
Back under the Texas sun, having crossed the finish line first in the #99 Copeland Motorsports car will always be a highlight for Bell. Still, he’s hoping for many more wins to come.
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