From prom dress to firesuit

Carson High senior and Prom Queen candidate Mackena Bell is a little different from your everyday high school student.

When not attending classes, officiating basketball or volleyball games for the Carson City Recreation Department, or babysitting after school, Bell dons a fireproof suit and a full-face helmet and straps herself into a 450 horsepower Late Model stock car most Saturday nights. Bell, who will turn 18 in June, has been working up to this level since she first turned a wheel in a box stock Outlaw Kart at Champion Speedway in Carson City in 2002.

After coming back to win the track championship in the Legends division in Champion's final year of operation, she continued to race both an Open division 500cc Outlaw kart and a Legends car, and was offered a chance at a Late Model for two outings at All- American Speedway in Roseville last season. This year she is competing at Roseville on a regular basis in her own car.

Bell's weapon of choice is a LaHorgue Late Model chassis with Pontiac bodywork and a 350 cubic inch V8 engine massaged by legendary engine builder Harold Long. In four outings so far this season, she has two top 10 finishes and is currently 12th in points. She is not running for the championship due to several date conflicts, but considers this a "learning" year.

"I'm getting more comfortable in the car, and it's fun to have all that horsepower," Bell said.

She said that the toughest part is figuring out if the car's handling needs to be changed, or if she needs to modify her driving style.

"I'm working on my communication with (crew chief) Dave Sciarroni. It's frustrating sometimes, not knowing if it's the car or if it's me, but we're getting better at it."

Bell has aspirations of moving into the professional ranks, and is once again a candidate for NASCAR's "Drive for Diversity" program this year. It will be her third attempt at the program, and she is hopeful.

"Most of the women in the program are in their 20s, and have been trying for a number of years," she said.

She also noted that Danica Patrick's recent win in the Indy Car series was a big boost for female racers at all levels.

Like most serious racers, Bell has a rigorous fitness program, working out at the gym and playing volleyball. The fitness program is a recent addition to her schedule, because she realizes that it helps her in the car. She has also modified her eating habits to incorporate a healthier diet. Racing drivers are athletes, and to be successful they need to train like athletes.

Asked about the most difficult thing for her at this stage of her career, Bell gets thoughtful.

"I think I'm probably too hard on myself," she says. "I'm my own worst critic. I need to get over that."

She went on to say that of the 20-plus drivers who regularly compete in the Whelen Late Model series at Roseville, she really only compares herself to the other women (six in all) who are in the series, all of them older. She also mused about her rapid transition from a box stock kart to faster and more powerful karts, then into Legends cars, and now the Late Model.

"It seems like just when I've conquered something, I move up to another challenge," she said.

Indeed, although she's had considerable success at each step of the way, she has never hung around to consolidate that success.

However, she does take a step back every now and then. Just this past Saturday she traveled to Madera, Calif., to race a Legends car owned by her crew chief, Sciarroni. She qualified well enough to make the trophy dash, then ran down the leaders in the A Main and took second place in a photo finish.

Bell credits much of her success to the help and encouragement she has had along the way.

"My parents, especially my dad working on my cars, Dave Sciarroni, and so many others have helped me," Bell said.

She is also grateful to her sponsors: K. Bell Tile and Marble, Benny's Auto Painting, Joe the Chromer, K. Dub Creative Web Design, Sciarroni Brothers Racing, Lady Eagle Safety Wear, Scott Performance Wire, and Ken Barrette. Without sponsors, you just don't race.

Mackena will graduate from Carson High along with her class on Saturday, June 7. But instead of partying with her classmates, she'll be heading over the hill to Roseville after the ceremony to climb into her race car and do battle on the asphalt.

"I'll probably miss one practice session, but I'll be there to qualify and race," vowed the young racer. Now that's dedication!

If you want to keep up on Bell's racing season or find out about sponsorship opportunities, you can check out her Web site, www.MackenaBell.com.