Warrnambool sprintcar driver Jett Bell embraces new challenge, prepares for Max's Race at Premier Speedway

The Allansford racer swapped motocross for speedway, following in dad Stephen's footsteps.

Now Bell, who turns 19 in February, is preparing to race at his home track in a 410 sprintcar for the first time when he rolls around Premier Speedway in Max's Race on Saturday night.

It will be just his second in the class after making his debut at Avalon Raceway last week for Pakenham-based team owners Matt and Renae Eastham who had previously deployed Bell's father in the driver's seat.

"There's a lot of solid, good cars and I have only ever raced here once in the formula 500s," Bell told The Standard.

"I don't have a lot of experience but I'd be really, really pumped to make the A-Main but it's going to be a much bigger challenge with the cars here.

"If I could get some good, consistent laps in and not tear anything up that would be the main goal."

Motorsport is in Bell's blood.

His father Stephen was a two-time Victorian sprintcar champion and regular on the formula 500 circuit.

Younger brother Chad is immersing himself in the formula 500 scene while younger sister Evie is competing in junior classes.

"Dad's dad (Donny Bell) raced and dad's stepdad (Geoff Owen) raced," he said.

Youngest sibling Sonny though went down a different sporting path.

"He just shows zero interest in it," Bell laughed.

"He just plays basketball."

Bell is now entrenched in the sprintcar scene.

But it wasn't always the way. He started racing motorbikes aged six and was immersed in that sport until he was 14.

That's when he started to contemplate his next racing move.

"When I was young and dad was racing sprintcars I didn't really care for it at all," he said.

"When I was about 14 I started taking a bit of interest in the speedway but before that he'd be racing a lot and I wouldn't go to any of his shows unless it was Warrnambool and I'd just run around with my cousins."

Now he calls on Stephen's advice to help improve his driving skills.

"He's a pretty big part of it all and (helps with) little stuff like driving sensibly and passes," he said.

Racing alongside his dad in a sprintcar "would be pretty cool" but Bell thinks he's more than happy watching his children compete now.

Bell, who works as a fitter and turner apprentice for SWI Engineering, was pleased with his sprintcar debut at Avalon where he made the B-Main.

"It was a lot more competitive than 360 racing and the one-heat format was pretty brutal," he said.

"We were just a bit tight and I didn't drive it too flash in my heat so that put us in the B-Main and set us behind the eight-ball for the rest of the night.

"But overall it was a good night - we didn't break anything and we got some good consistent laps in."

Bell, who thanked his sponsors, said he wanted to become known for his control as a driver.

"I like pulling off a nice lap or a good pass," he said of racing.

"I just enjoy trying to get more consistent and doing more consistent laps rather than be out of control.

"In a sprintcar the speed and the acceleration is pretty cool, it's next level."

Bell will be among a star-studded field, featuring the likes of World of Outlaws dynamo James McFadden and former South West Conveyancing Grand Annual Sprintcar Classic champions Jamie Veal and Corey McCullagh, in Max's Race.

The event, named after speedway legend Max Dumesny, will be the club's first meeting of the season following two washouts.

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