He also was entered in a third team car in the Indy 500, where he qualified twelfth and finished tenth. However, Townsend has not disclosed what he specialized in while at the University of California. 'My wife will change the locks!' . He is happily married to his wife Heather Campbell Bell. Bell has driven in numerous domestic and international motorsport series for more than two decades, and has competed in the Indianapolis 500 on 10 occasions, finishing in fourth place in 2009. The Agency and The Agency logo are registered trademarks of The Agency IP Holdco, LLC under license to its parents and affiliates. Little drama in air with pressurization. You look in front of you, you see the steepest, most difficult climb you can imagine, trying to make it as a professional race-car driver, you're like well that looks better than the wall behind me. Bell told The Associated Press on Monday the burglars made off with the 10 rings from his Indianapolis 500s, his ring for winning the 2001 Indy Lights championship, his Rolex watch from his 2014 victory in the 24-hour race and the Rolex he received for winning the IMSA title the next season. The Californian has stopped by AUTOMOBILE's metro Detroit office a couple of days before he competes in the Tudor United SportsCar Championship's Chevrolet Sports Car Classic on Belle Isle. Because as an Indy Car driver, it's all on your shoulders in a way. Moreso, Townsend had his debut in the racing career in the Barber Dodge Pro Series before joining the Indy Light series in 2000 where he finished second. Athlete. He is from American. "No, absolutely not," Bell replies. But Bell was also scheduled to be at Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the IndyCar race on Saturday. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Townsend, 46, from Howth in Dublin, allegedly got physical with He is a man of above-average stature. Bell is also a color commentator for NBC Sports's IndyCar, Global RallyCross Championship as well as the host of What'Cha Got on Fox Sports 1. Bell is hoping that makes it easier for the items to be found. Bell made his sports car debut in 2012 and won the 12 Hours of Sebring on debut with Alex Job Racing. Bell made his television debut as a color commentator for INDYCAR broadcasts on Sky Sports in Europe, and also served as an analyst of SPEEDs F1 coverage. And from time to time he gets autograph seekers, one time recently in front of his sona nice, validating perk of the job not every dad gets to . And then NBC called a few years ago and then it just kind of grew from there. Host of "What'Cha Got" on Fox Sports 1. Bell made his sports car debut in 2012 and won the 12 Hours of Sebring on debut with Alex Job Racing. He earned Roberto Moreno's seat at Patrick that year. But his racing career appeared to be on its way to an inauspicious fade-out as a splintered U.S. open-wheel community meant opportunities were scarce. "It's raw; you're ringing its neck just like you would anything else. Autoweek participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. I can still remember being terrified in the whitecaps of the Bay. Between that and going to the Indy 500, which back in 1986 was the biggest thing in the world bar none I left just totally hooked on Indy car racing and the fantasy of the Indy 500. , money, salary, income, and assets. Townsends salary is $89,900 annually. The following season he won six races and the title -- and made two starts in the CART Indy car series. Early career[ edit] His only communication with his family was when he was able to check his email on his computer, and he said his wife didn't want to bother him during the Rolex. ", As a family vacation, that wouldn't have been so unusual if it weren't for the fact the Bells lived in San Francisco, some 2,000 miles from the mighty river. Townsend Bell competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona then flew home to Los Angeles to receive bad news from his wife: Their home had been burglarized and the bulk of his racing memorabilia had been . Jun 9, 2015. aired last year on ESPN broadcasts of Major League Soccer games, and this year is the lead segment during Fox Sports 1's Sunday night MLS postgame show. Townsend Bell | Wife He is married to his pretty wife Heather Campbell Bell. By qualifying fourth fastest, he started the 95th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing on the inside of the second row. Well, maybe not that easy, but at least doable. Townsend Bell competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona over the weekend, then flew home to Los Angeles to receive bad news from his wife: Their home had been burglarized and the bulk of his racing memorabilia had been stolen. So that reignited my interest to stay involved, and I've been involved ever since.". Townsends net worth is $4.5 million. Ad Choices. HIS OWN DRAMATIC STORY In His Poor, Warped Mind His Love for His Dead Wife Became a Craze for. Does that mean, looking back through the years, that he wishes he gravitated to sports cars originally? Townsend Bell Children By 2000 Bell raced in Indy Lights and collected two wins, finishing runner-up to future Indy Car star Scott Dixon. Bell finished 9th in the 2012 Indianapolis 500 with Sam Schmidt Motorsports. A partial CART season in 2002 did not produce spectacular results, though a fourth- and seventh-place finish caught attention. Bell was the first American to score a F3000 podium with a 3rd place at the Hungaroring and he finished 9th overall in a field covered with future Formula One talent - Giorgio Pantano, Patrick Friesacher, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Nicolas Kiesa among them. His efforts shifted to Europe and in 2003 he was teammate to series champion Bjrn Wirdheim in International F3000 competition. He earned Roberto Moreno's seat at Patrick that year. So, how much is Townsend Bell worth at the age of 47 years old? Bell is a color commentator for NBC Sports[2] with lead anchor Leigh Diffey and fellow analyst Paul Tracy. The real drama started when he tried to make the return trip to Daytona Saturday afternoon. Full text is unavailable for this digitized archive article. 2023 USA TODAY, a division of Gannett Satellite Information Network, LLC. Townsends wife is an American realtor working as the director of residential estates for The Agency. 6 Robert Graham Dallara-Chevrolet, marked his eighth start in the event and seventh consecutive. His only communication with his family was when he was able to check his email on his computer, and he said his wife didnt want to bother him during the Rolex. At night we'd stay in little motels along the Mississippi.". It was one of those things where we could tell on takeoff that the pressurization was kind of in and out, he added. 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Bad weather near Daytona Beach meant they couldnt land next to the speedway as originally planned. For Bell, the circumstances were similarly challenging. Most recently, Bell has competed in the AIM Vasser-Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 for the 2019 & 2020 GTD class seasons.[7]. It may only have been a one-off, second-week effort, but Townsend Bell's run to fourth place in the Indianapolis 500 put him firmly in the shop window. I had never really made any kind of plan like, 'This is what I'm going to do when I get older. Since his return to the U.S. in 2004 to race in the IndyCar Series, he's competed in the Indianapolis 500 eight times, and in 2012 won the prestigious 12 Hours of Sebring race on his first attempt. "All the work you put in to get all that stuff, and at least you have recognition of the achievement, and now it's gone.". Bell has filled in for Formula One coverage on NBC, most notably in 2016 when he replaced Will Buxton, who was on bereavement leave for the races at Sepang and Mexico City. It almost seemed absurd based on my background.". When I'm in the Ferrari race car it's a machine and I'm trying to extract every ounce of performance I can regardless of the brand affiliation. I think I enjoy getting in the Ferarri road cars 'cause it reminds me of the brand, the mystique, if you know what I mean. To access his home, the thieves had to climb over a 6-foot fence and smash through the glass door in his master bedroom. He followed that performance with a victory in the 2014 Rolex 23 at Daytona, and won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the GT-Am class in 2016. "My dad bought a 14-foot Zodiac with wood-insert floors and a 25-hp outboard for going down the Mississippi River. #punchonthru pic.twitter.com/MUj19XsOkI. To access his home, the thieves had to climb over a 6-foot fence and smash through the glass door in his master bedroom. per adult. "[When] I came back [from Europe] and started racing Indy cars it was like, 'Man, this is a lot of work; Indy Car is struggling, struggling.' View Full Article in Timesmachine , See the article in its original context from. He raced a partial season and scored a best finish of fourth at Portland. "We literally took the boat on American Airlines as checked baggage," he laughs. Townsend Bell (born April 19, 1975) is an American professional motor racing driver competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and also as a motorsports commentator for NBC Sports' IndyCar Series coverage. 6 Robert Graham Dallara-Chevrolet,[1] marked his eighth start in the event and seventh consecutive. His best result in 2008 was an eighth-place finish at Richmond International Raceway in June. Furthermore, Townsends father had the boat inflated and checked in as luggage while they were taking a flight to Minneapolis. ", The temptation of bigger boats always lurks, though, and the day he talked to BoatUS Magazine he was heading to Catalina on a borrowed Gran Turismo. ". Its first on-air property, "What'Cha Got", He then drove to Orlando (about an hour away) jumped on a $69 flight to Cincinnati and drove from there to Indianapolis, where he fulfilled his TV duties Saturday. He returned to the IndyCar Series in 2008 driving the No. He began his racing career in the Barber Dodge Pro Series, and ascended to the Indy Lights series in 2000, where he finished second behind Scott Dixon before winning the series title in 2001. Thanks to the same storms that prevented them from landing in Daytona, the start of the race was delayed, and Bell made it to the speedway in time, pulling into the infield just before 6 p.m. Vasser was able to see his Lexus team finish first and second in the GTD class, and Bell was able to smile after finishing second. "I told her 'It's just a car race!'" Additionally, the duo are also proud parents of two sons, Jaxon and Jensen. "I was totally mesmerized I just loved cars, I grew up on a very regular diet of [car- and speed-related TV like] 'CHiPs,' 'Knight Rider,' 'Air Wolf,' 'Street Hawk,' 'Dukes of Hazzard' -- that's the fab five. Townsend Bell was born on 19 April, 1975 in San Francisco, CA, is an American racing driver. "Double duty" in motorsports normally refers to drivers competing at the Indianapolis 500 and NASCARs Cole 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on the same day. However, due to tragic events, the truth about his failing marriage began to make headlines in 2019. Additionally, Townsend and his wife are proud parents of two sons, Jensen and Jaxon. So, how much is Townsend Bell worth at the age of 47 years old? Therefore, Townsend, his older brother, and their cousin had to get themselves to Mississippi together with their boat. Bell's home was one of five burglarized in his Pacific Palisades neighborhood. Bell has contested nine Indianapolis 500s, including this year's, with a best finish of fourth in 2011. His wife is Heather Bell Townsend Bell Net Worth His net worth has been growing significantly in 2021-2022. Bell was on a limited-month schedule but had an impressive race day, advancing from 24th on the grid up to the top five. 301. Townsend Bell and his wife Heather onboard their Beneteau Barracuda. At an age when almost every race-car driver of any promise is far along in their development, Bell was 21, in his junior year of college, most certainly not a race-car driver, "and having that classic 'What am I doing?' Townsend Bell (born April 19, 1975) is an American professional motor racing driver competing in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, and also as a motorsports commentator for NBC Sports' IndyCar Series coverage. Pamela. "Behind me was nothing, just a brick wall. Throw his broadcasting work with NBC and a hectic family life with two small boys into the mix, and boating had to take something of a backseat for a time. "You look around this paddock, I don't know that I'm gonna be 50 years old and trying to still race sports cars and hang onto the dream so to speak," he says. Im pretty sure Im in Daytona. The pairing finished fourth overall in the full season GT Daytona class points. Along the way, Bell learned as much about motorsports business and self-promotion as he did driving and race-craft. Crashed a lot, hit people. I'm actually pretty shy. He is currently working as a racing commentator for NBC along with Leigh Diffey and James Hinchcliffe. He's got a Porsche and a Bimmer (his wife drives the Porsche). Bell told The Associated Press on Monday the burglars made off with the 10 rings from his Indianapolis 500s, his ring for winning the 2001 Indy Lights championship, his Rolex watch from his 2014 victory in the 24-hour race and the Rolex he received for winning the IMSA title the next season. Townsend Bell, former INDYCAR, and CART and Champ Car driver, serves as an analyst for NBC Sports' INDYCAR coverage. Steve Letarte NBC Sports, Bio, Wiki, Age, Wife, Nascar, Chief Crew, Salary, and Net Worth, Notah Begay Golfer, Bio, Wiki, Age, Wife, Stanford, Tournament, Salary, and Net Worth, Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, List of States in the US, Alphabetical list of States in the U.S., and Abbreviation of States in United States. We have estimated Documents state Townsend-Bell billed Medicaid for. "You've gotta hear this thing," Townsend Bell greets us as he grins and climbs from a gunmetal gray metallic -- Grigio Silverstone in Maranello parlance -- 2015 Ferrari FF. Jane Teresa Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Most Popular Video Games Most Popular Music Videos Most Popular Podcasts. So positive are they of this fact that District Attorney Kenney, who till now has had a doubt of Bell's guilt, expressed himself as entirely satisfied. He finished 21st. His best result in 2008 was an eighth-place finish at Richmond International Raceway in June. Townsend Bell is an American professional motor racing driver who is currently working as a Racing Commentator for NBC. LIKELY TO SELL OUT*. Townsend Bell competed in the Rolex 24 at Daytona then flew home to Los Angeles to receive bad news from his wife: Their home had been burglarized and the bulk of his racing memorabilia had been stolen. Furthermore, Townsend and his wife Heather had their first date at the . I didn't require a lot of coaching; I just got in and I was fast, one of those things. Bell posted his best Indianapolis 500 qualifying effort to date in 2011, racing for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Palisades Patrol swore in its seventh town sheriff Tuesday night, race car driver Townsend Bell, to help address quality of life issues in Pacific Palisades. Furthermore, he has also worked as an analyst for SPEEDs F1 coverage. Bell still races in the IMSA series as part of the AIM Vasser Sullivan Lexus team. Well, actually, Im back to zero now on Rolex watches, so maybe I would have been thinking during the race I had to win because Ive got to start my whole collection over now.. His efforts shifted to Europe and in 2003 he was teammate to series champion Bjrn Wirdheim in International F3000 competition. Europe and in 2003 he was teammate to series champion Bjrn Wirdheim in F3000... 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