Here is a interview with Derek Bell about his last race. One of my all time favorite drivers
Sports-car legend Derek Bell, 66, will attempt to earn a ninth 24-hour-race win this weekend in what will likely be the last professional race of his career. The British driver will drive the No. 12 RVO Motorsports Riley-Pontiac in the Rolex 24 at Daytona International Speedway, along with an experienced sports-car driver lineup that includes his son, Justin.
For Bell, who won the 24 Hours of Le Mans five times and Daytona three times, a 24-hour race was the only choice for an encore to a storied endurance career.
"I never said I was retiring," Bell laughed when asked about his Daytona return. "But if this is to be my last race, then I'd like it to be at Daytona. I've been driving every year for the last 41 years, but you have to stop sometime. I wouldn't anticipate doing another 24-hour race. To finish my real professional career with Justin in this race would be lovely."
This is not the first time Bell has driven with his son. Along with Andy Wallace, the duo drove to a third-place finish at Le Mans in 1995 after leading the race for16 hours. The Bells also placed 10th in the GTS class at the 2003 24 Hours of Daytona in a Corvette, Derek's last Daytona appearance.
"It will be great to run with Dad again," Justin said. "He has so many sports-car miles under his belt that we would be foolish not to tap into his experience and knowledge. And let's face it, how many people get to drive with their father at this level?"
For the amount of feel-good stories surrounding the senior Bell's return, there was an opposite amount of planning. RVO team-owner Roger Schramm confirmed his driver lineup in December, but one driver then went to another team. Justin called his father in England on New Year's Eve to gauge his interest in filling the seat.
"Why the hell not do it?" Derek said. "All my body functions are working, and I'm in better shape than a lot of people 10 years younger."
Less than a week after that phone call, Bell took his first laps in a Daytona Prototype. His return to a high-horsepower race car squashed any reservations. Compared with the Porsche 962 he drove four times this year in historic races, the Daytona Prototype is less of a handful to drive. His only wish was that the public understood the cars a little better.
"We still have to educate the public as to what we are doing," Bell said. "People are used to talking about Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Toyota, and not talking about Dorans and Rileys. Without exception, anybody that says, 'Oh, you are doing Daytona again, what are you driving?' and I say, 'A Riley,' they say, 'What's that?'"
Bell denies that he will compete in another 24-hour race, but it all hinges on his performance this year.
"If we ended up winning, you would have to talk me out of doing it next year," he laughed. "But it's beyond a dream for me. It's a fantasy. It's probably the most competitive Daytona [race] in 20 years. I'm just doing it because I would like to do well, and I'm driving with my son."
