Colfax Comet 2017 Racing Fundraiser

Follow the "Colfax Comet" as he continues on his 'Old School' low budget racing journey.

Robert Bell’s sister here……  So the 2017 racing season is about to officially begin.   He wants to offer a huge thank you to all the friends and fans that have been part of his one man program along the way from coast to coast.   God willing,  and as long as he can earn and raise enough money, one race at a time, he is ready to hit the road and catch up with everyone along the way......see you at the race track!

 
2017 Chili Bowl:  February 10-14 was the 31st running of the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, OK.     The story of the journey to the Chili Bowl:  What most people don't know is that Robert's 2016 race season ended with both his Sprint and his Midget engines completely worn out.  He won his Allstar Midget Series Championship with an engine that was on it's last leg. 

Robert worked and saved through the fall and early winter as he began making plans for 2017.  Two weeks before the Chili Bowl, Robert and his friend and well-known midwest racer Tim St. Arnold brought home a used engine from the junkyard and went to work on the midget.    There is no fancy shop, just a simple crowded one stall garage at the farm.  One car sits outside while one car is in the garage to work on.  



This was a Chili Bowl full of great memories.  It was joy and happiness at the track where he surprised everyone with a heat race win.  It was reported as one of this year's highlights to see a low budget car finish first in a heat race.  

Later it was heartbreak when Robert's truck and trailer were robbed in the night at the hotel in Tulsa.  Most of his racing tools and parts go with him on the road.  He hauls with a pickup and an open trailer. He lost his tool box, and all the things a racer keeps in there.  There were his tools, his testers, his keepsakes.  There were memories and hand me downs that meant something.  There were racecar rivets and spare parts and  gears.  His race-ceiver was taken, along with several key spare parts he had with him (a power steering pump) and other important  items.  Needless to say, for a low-budget racer it was a devastating and emotional experience.    Several racers and fans helped collect donations to help him out.  He is still trying to remember what he might be missing and continues to replace items as needed.   If you know Robert he will make do with what he has.



https://youtu.be/s--U_6YkLgE

https://youtu.be/9MpZKlbauwI


2016
Reflecting on last year…it was a mixed bag of USAC Sprint car races peppered in among his 2016 Midget schedule with the Allstar Midget Series.  He continued his "old school" low budget open trailer racing.  He was also honored with the 2016 Allstar Midget Series Championship as he held off Merril Lamb in the points battle.  Also in 2016 Robert ws honored to be included in the "We Are Dirt" movie.






4/14/16 Robert's sister here. He asked me to post an update. Unfortunately this week's challenges did not allow him to get on the road in time to make this weekend's USAC shows in Southern Indiana. He was looking forward to catching up with his friends and fans there. Robert is not only an "old school" racer, but he also lives and works solo for a living. He battled the flu and bronchitis for a couple weeks. This week his Grain Hauler broke down and has been in the shop. He has been working hard to get those repairs completed so he can get back to work. Don't worry, he hopes to be back racing East of the Mississippi soon. We are working on some special fundraisers and will have the 2016 t-shirts ready to debut very soon. Again, thanks for your continued interest and belief in my brother, the Legendary "Colfax Comet".


2/9/16 Robert's sister here.....Robert Bell the "Colfax Comet" is trying his hardest to get this racing season kick started for USAC races in Florida. He's been working real hard to get ready to head out on the 15th. Yesterday was a set back, while working on the carburetor in the old Ford Dually it caught fire and so his plans to use it for the haul to Florida for this trip fell through. He has the race car ready, but once again struggling with getting to the track. He is determined to find a way, make a way......


In 2015 Robert accomplished a huge goal to complete the entire 2015 National USAC AMSOIL Non-Wing Sprint Series.   Robert traveled all over the United States; he raced in 11 different states and at 21 of the best dirt tracks with some of the best drivers in sprint car racing.  He met so many great new friends and fans.  He did finish 24th in points with USAC his first year out with them and even earned the Dick Berggren's Speedway Illustrated Ken Schrader Real Racer of the Year award for 2015


Robert's racing  would not, and could not, have sustained iteself  without the support from all of you.  Thank you for believing he could do it……some people doubted.  Maybe you bought a tire, maybe you paid for fuel, maybe you tagged along or showed up in the pits to help him out; maybe you helped get him to lineup staging or helped him load the car; maybe you made hotel reservations; maybe you became like part of our family just by being there to help whenever it looked like the next race was not within reach; maybe you bought a T-shirt or attended a fundraiser; maybe you took awesome pictures and shared them…..to each and every one of you THANK YOU!!!!   
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Let's go racing......to be continued.......