Townsend Lorenz 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 FOX Sports’ IndyCar Series coverage.

Early career Bell spent time in karting, Skip Barber, Formula Dodge and the Barber Dodge Pro Series before graduating to Indy Lights in 2000. He won the Indy Lights championship in 2001. This earned him two late-season starts in a Champ Car in a joint effort between Patrick Racing and Dale Coyne Racing. He earned Roberto Moreno's seat at Patrick for 2002. He scored a best finish of fourth at Portland, however a run of disappointing performances and a two probation sanctions from CART Chief Steward Wally Dallenbach Sr. led to his firing from the team after the nine races.

International Formula 3000 career

Bell's efforts shifted to Europe and in 2003 he was teammate to series champion Björn Wirdheim in International F3000 competition. He was the first American to score a F3000 podium with a third place at the Hungaroring and he finished ninth overall in a field covered with future Formula One talent – Giorgio Pantano, Patrick Friesacher, Vitantonio Liuzzi and Nicolas Kiesa among them.

Bell's performance in F3000 led to Formula One tests with the Jaguar and BAR Honda F1 teams.

Return to IndyCar

Despite earning a test with British American Racing at year's end, Bell returned to America where he replaced Mark Taylor for Panther Racing in the Indy Racing League IndyCar Series midway through 2004, and posted a best finish of fifth. He started one race as an injury replacement for Tomáš Enge in the same car in 2005. He made his first Indianapolis 500 appearance for Vision Racing in 2006, qualifying fifteenth and finishing 22nd. He returned to the IndyCar Series in 2008 driving the No. 23 car in events where Milka Duno was not scheduled to race. His best result in 2008 was an eighth place finish at Richmond International Raceway in June. He also was entered in a third team car in the Indy 500, where he qualified twelfth and finished tenth.

In 2009, KV Racing Technology entered Bell in the Indy 500, engineered by Gerald Tyler. Bell was on a limited-month schedule but had an impressive race day, advancing from 24th on the grid up to the top-five. Passing Team Penske's Will Power on the last restart, Bell impressed with a fourth-place finish.

Bell posted his best Indianapolis 500 qualifying effort to date in 2011, racing for Sam Schmidt Motorsports, once again engineered by Tyler. By qualifying fourth fastest, he started the 95th running of the Greatest Spectacle in Racing on the inside of the second row.

Bell finished ninth in the 2012 Indianapolis 500 with Sam Schmidt Motorsports, engineered by Tyler. His 2014 Indianapolis 500, back with KV Racing Technology in the No. 6 Robert Graham Dallara-Chevrolet, marked his eighth start in the event and seventh consecutive.

Bell qualified fourth and led twelve laps in the 2016 Indy 500, racing for Andretti Autosport, before an incident on pit road during caution. He finished 21st. It was also during this week that he clocked a top speed of 241.637 mph.

Sports car career Bell made his sports car debut in 2012 and won the 12 Hours of Sebring on debut with Alex Job Racing. That season, he drove a Lotus Evora GTE for Alex Job Racing in the American Le Mans Series with Bill Sweedler, before he and Sweedler drove a Ferrari F458 Italia the following year with West/AJR.

Bell matched his Sebring feat in his first Rolex 24 at Daytona start in 2014, winning that driving with Level 5 Motorsports. Bell and Sweedler won the Tequila Patron North American Endurance Cup with AIM Autosport, after finishing first or second in three of the four races in the endurance series within the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship. The pairing finished fourth overall in the full season GT Daytona class points.

In 2015, Bell and co-driver Bill Sweedler took home the IMSA GT Daytona Championship. In addition, they had a dominant win at VIR and podium finishes in the 12 Hours of Sebring and 24 Hours of Le Mans.

In 2016, Bell along with teammates Jeff Segal and Bill Sweedler won the 24 Hours of LeMans in only their second try.

Bell is competed full-time in the 2017 WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona class with Alex Job Racing in an Audi R8 GT3 and returned to Le Mans with Ferrari in 2017.

Most recently, Bell has competed in the AIM Vasser-Sullivan Lexus RC F GT3 for the 2019 & 2020 GTD class seasons.

Television Since 2025, Bell is a color commentator for IndyCar on FOX Sports with lead anchor Will Buxton and fellow analyst James Hinchcliffe.

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.

Bell is also a color commentator for NBC Sports's Global RallyCross Championship. He has also both competed and commented in the Stadium Super Trucks.

At the 2013 X-Games in Munich, Bell competed in Global Rallycross and finished sixth in the final.

Racing record

American open–wheel racing results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Barber Dodge Pro Series Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points 1998SEBLRPDETWGICLEGRAMOHROALS1ATLHMSLS216th36 1999SEBNAZLRPPORCLEROADETMOHGRALSHMSWGI3rd104

Indy Lights Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points Ref 2000 Dorricott RacingLBHMILDETPORMISCHIMOHVANLSSTLHOUFON2nd146 2001 Dorricott RacingMTYLBHTXSMILPORKANTORMOHSTLATLLSFON1st192

CART Year Team No. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Rank Points Ref 2001 Patrick Racing 20MTYLBHTXSNZRMOTMILDETPORCLETORMISCHIMOHROAVANLAUROCHOULSSRFFON 30th 1 2002 Patrick RacingMTYLBHMOTMILLSPORCHITORCLEVANMOHROAMTLDENROCMIASRFFONMXC20th19

IndyCar Series Year Team No. Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rank Points Ref 2004 Panther Racing 2 Dallara Chevrolet HMS PHX MOT INDY TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MIS KTY PPIR NZR CHI FON TX2 21st 193 2005 HMS PHX STP MOT INDY TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MIS KTY PPIR SNM CHI WGL FON 30th 15 2006 Vision Racing 90 Honda HMS STP MOT INDY WGL TXS RIR KAN NSH MIL MIS KTY SNM CHI 34th 12 2008 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 23 HMS STP MOT1 LBH1 KAN MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL NSH MOH EDM KTY SNM DET CHI SRF2 26th 117 99 INDY 2009 KV Racing Technology 8 Dallara IR5 STP LBH KAN INDY MIL TXS IOW RIR WGL TOR EDM KTY MOH SNM CHI MOT HMS 32nd 32 2010 Sam Schmidt Motorsports 99SAOSTPALALBHKANINDYTXSIOWWGLTOREDMMOHSNMCHIKTYMOTHMS 38th 18 2011 STP ALA LBH SAOINDY TXS2 TXS2 MIL IOW TOR EDM MOH NHM SNM BAL MOT 35th 40 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 22KTYLVS3 2012 Schmidt–Hamilton Motorsports 99 Dallara DW12 STP ALA LBH SAO INDY DET TXS MIL IOW TOR EDM MOH SNM BAL FON 30th 26 2013 Panther Racing 60 Chevrolet STP ALA LBH SAO INDY DET DET TXS MIL IOW POC TOR TOR MOH SNM BAL HOU HOU FON 35th 10 2014 KV Racing Technology 6 STP LBH ALA IMS INDY DET DET TXS HOU HOU POC IOW TOR TOR MOH MIL SNM FON 32nd 22 2015 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 24 STP NLA LBH ALA IMS INDY DET DET TXS TOR FON MIL IOW MOH POC SNM 35th 32 2016 Andretti Autosport 29 Honda STP PHX LBH ALA IMS INDY DET DET RDA IOW TOR MOH POC TXS WGL SNM 27th 55

1 Run on same day. 2 Non-points race. 3 The Las Vegas Indy 300 was abandoned after Dan Wheldon died from injuries sustained in a 15-car crash on lap 11.

Years Teams Races Poles Wins Podiums(non-win) Top 10s(non-podium) Indianapolis 500 wins Championships12631000900

Indianapolis 500 Year Chassis Engine Start Finish Team 2006 Dallara Honda1522 Vision Racing 2008 Dallara Honda1210 Dreyer & Reinbold Racing 2009 Dallara Honda244 KV Racing Technology 2010 Dallara Honda1016 Sam Schmidt Motorsports 2011 Dallara Honda426 Sam Schmidt Motorsports 2012 Dallara Honda209 Schmidt–Hamilton Motorsports 2013 Dallara Chevrolet2227 Panther Racing 2014 Dallara Chevrolet2525 KV Racing Technology 2015 Dallara Chevrolet2414 Dreyer & Reinbold Kingdom Racing 2016 Dallara Honda421 Andretti Autosport

Complete International Formula 3000 results (key) Year Entrant 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DC Points 2003 Arden International IMO CAT A1R MON NUR MAG SIL HOC HUN MNZ 9th 17

24 Hours of Le Mans results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Scuderia Corsa Jeff Segal Bill Sweedler Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 GTEAm 330 24th 3rd Scuderia Corsa Jeff Segal Bill Sweedler Ferrari 458 Italia GT2 GTEAm 331 26th 1st Scuderia Corsa Bill Sweedler Cooper MacNeil Ferrari 488 GTE GTEAm 331 29th 3rd

Complete IMSA SportsCar Championship results (key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap) Year Team Class Make Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Points 2014 Level 5 Motorsports GTD Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 Ferrari 4.5L V8 DAY 4th 293 AIM Autosport SEB LGA DET WGL MOS IMS ELK VIR COA PET 2015 Scuderia Corsa GTD Ferrari 458 Italia GT3 Ferrari 4.5L V8 DAY SEB LGA DET WGL LIM ELK VIR COA PET 1st281 2018 Scuderia Corsa GTD Ferrari 488 GT3 Ferrari F154CB 3.9L Turbo V8 DAY SEB MOH DET WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR LGA PET 17th 109 2019 AIM Vasser Sullivan GTD Lexus RC F GT3 Lexus 5.0L V8 DAY SEB MOH DET WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR LGA PET 8th 236 2020 AIM Vasser Sullivan GTD Lexus RC F GT3 Lexus 5.0L V8 DAY DAY SEB ELK VIR ATL MOH CLT PET LGA SEB 6th 251 2021 Vasser Sullivan Racing GTD Lexus RC F GT3 Lexus 5.0L V8 DAY SEB MOH DET WGL WGL LIM ELK LGA LBH VIR PET 66th 202 2022 VasserSullivan GTD Lexus RC F GT3 Toyota 2UR 5.0 L V8 DAY SEB LBH LGA MOH DET WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR PET 63rd 190 2025 Vasser Sullivan Racing GTD Pro Lexus RC F GT3 Toyota 2UR-GSE 5.0 L V8 DAY SEB LGA DET WGL MOS ELK VIR IMS PET 41st 216

References

External links Townsend Bell Interview IndyCar Driver Page

http://townsendbell.com/