Screen to Speed: Bel Wells (Update!)

Crew Chief Brad: [00:00:00] Welcome to Screen to Speed powered by INIT Esports. In this podcast, we dive into the journeys of remarkable individuals, making waves in sim racing and bridging the virtual with the real. From the thrill of digital circuits to the roar of real life racetracks, we explore the passion, dedication and innovation that drives the world of motor sports.

We’ll hear from athletes, creators and pioneers sharing their stories, insights, and the powerful ways sim racing is connecting communities and creating pathways into motor sports. So buckle up screen. The speed starts now.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Hi everyone. Welcome to new talks. Happy to see everybody in the chat. Welcome. Welcome. Uh, today we got a beautiful bell wells with us, uh, store Molina. She is a racing streamer and [00:01:00] also take a part in Porsche sports supercop all stars this year. Welcome bell. Hello. Welcome. Welcome. Uh, happy to see you here.

Thank you so much for taking your time and uh, spend it with us today. Um, so let’s start from, uh, how you started in sim racing, how you actually get into, uh, this passion.

Bell Wells: Um, I have always played lots of video games, all the video games. I love them all. And I think my husband kind of was watching YouTubes of Matt Malone and, like, Jimmy Broadbent, and he wanted to get a wheel.

I made him promise he was gonna put it away every night and, like, not take up a lot of room. And, uh, yeah, we never put it away after we got it. It’s been out ever since. And I probably use it more than him now. I really took it over, the passion.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: That’s really cool. So, kind of [00:02:00] your husband get you into sim racing.

So, the same thing happened with me, uh, in 2020. So my husband, like, showed me a racing and streaming and all the stuff. And we were like, okay, I’m going to start streaming. I’m going to do some racing as well. Uh, so yeah, it’s really funny to hear that you got it. That’s so funny.

Bell Wells: Does he still race also?

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, he also race in a racing from 20 and 12. So, right, almost right from the beginning. Wow, so he’s been around for a while. Yeah, so it’s really, really cute. Um, do you race together with your husband or no? Or he’s just, uh, supporting you? Yes,

Bell Wells: we do. Oh, nice. We have like the little logitech that someone else Has to use when they lose.

We’ll do like, uh, a hot laps, and whoever gets the slower time has to use the not as nice wheel, [00:03:00] but really, it’s all very fun. It’s fun to crash around together.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Uh, did you start from iRacing, or you played some other games? Like, what was your first racing game which you did?

Bell Wells: I think we had F1 2020 right around the same time.

I don’t know which one came first. I definitely was doing some F1 2020 like with the driving line on at the beginning. Uh, I think, I think we were kind of doing them at the same time and then I just stopped doing the F1 2020. iRacing, really, just so fun.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, that’s true. iRacing, the most fun simulator, which I tried.

Also, I started from Assetto Corsa. A long time ago, I also did some race 07, which is basically Air Factor, the first one. So I did some Yeah, I did some practice for formulas, uh, in it. Uh, and then, uh, I was working as a [00:04:00] coach and, uh, the manager on the, uh, in sim racing center and we had a set of course, so with the dirt rally too.

Or Dirt Rally, and yeah, I do a lot of Nordschleife these days. I know that, yeah, I know that you’re a big fan of Nordschleife, so how this, uh, how this love with this track started for you?

Bell Wells: I honestly don’t know. It was kind of like, can I learn this? People were like, it’s so hard and it’s so long. It’s kind of like a challenge.

I love a challenge. It’s fun. And really, it’s, I don’t know why I like it so much.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: I honestly have

Bell Wells: no idea.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: I saw a lot of streams where you race, like, Porsche Cup and some other cars also at Nordschleife, so I know that you’re a big fan of this track. I’m not really, even I did, you know, a lot of, uh, I spent a lot of time in Santa Corsa with this track, but in a racing I’m like I don’t really want to [00:05:00] race it, I don’t know why.

The 10 minute laps? Yeah, 10 minute laps, they’re just really hard. I think that because, you know, I just really like to work on lap times, and on exact corners, and improve, and Nordschleife, that’s the track where you, um, like, it’s really hard to improve on this track because it’s really long and, you know, you like, uh, you can split it by sectors of course, but anyway, that’s going to take a lot of time to, um.

It really does. Yeah, improve something here.

Bell Wells: I kind of think that might be why I like it so much. It’s kind of more just go with the flow than I’m really bad at like identifying breaking points and using them. I’m much more just, I feel it. Not an analyzer.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Well, yeah, you know, if you got skills already, I think it’s just fun to race here.

As you [00:06:00] said, you’re going with the flow and that says you, you’re not thinking about like, uh, uh, where exact the breaking points and all the stuff. So you’re just, uh, kind of going with your racing skills and with the flow of the track. So, yeah. Um, so how, how’s your way started in a racing? Like, uh, I guess that that happened also during pandemic times.

Yeah.

Bell Wells: Yeah. Uh huh. COVID racer for sure. Had lots of free time for new hobby.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, that’s right. Um, how long did it take you to get out of rookies, get out of MX5 and drive proper cars?

Bell Wells: It took me a long time. I only raced ovals for, like, the first year that I did iRacing. I was very afraid of roads. I could not memorize the tracks.

And now it’s kind of gone the other way. I do mostly roads, a little bit of ovals. I [00:07:00] like to do both, though. They’re very different. You do ovals, right? You like them.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yes, I really like ovals. I also started, like, from COVID and I started to do roads, but then I, uh, at the same time I did some ovals as well, like street stalks and all this stuff.

I really like ovals. That’s a big part right now of my streams and of our community as well. Yeah, so I think it’s just really cool because your mindset Completely different compared to road races and I actually learn a lot of stuff and novels and you race people really close all the time. Yeah, side by side

Bell Wells: the whole time.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: And it’s really cool. I remember we raced together in like Gen 4 at Bumpy Daytona. It was really fun. Oh yeah, we

Bell Wells: did. That was a while ago. I do recall that. Very fun. I was glad when they added the Draftmaster. I like that a lot.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, [00:08:00] Draftmaster. A lot of crashes, but when you get, like, top five or get a win here, you’re like, yes, I did it.

Good feelings. Yeah, it’s really rewarding. It’s serious indeed. It

Bell Wells: is.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Speaking about OWLs, what is your favorite car to drive and favorite track? So, I guess that you’re a fan of the super speedways, but anyway, go on to ask this.

Bell Wells: I do like the super speedways. I don’t know, for ovals, it’s hard for me. I really like Michigan, I remember.

And I don’t really have a favorite car. I like the Gen 4s a lot, and I kind of I used to like the Xfinities a lot, but now, I don’t know. Definitely, if roads is a part of it, P Cup is my favorite car, for sure.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: I’m on the same side with you here. It’s so fun, yes. Yeah, uh, I started to, Drive Porsche Cup because one of my teammates from [00:09:00] Olympus Sports, uh, Thomas Cope, he just said to me like, you have to try Porsche Cup, you’re going to like it.

And I’m like, okay, I’ll give it a go. And then I just blink and I’m already like in the very club, uh, Club Sport Championship with Porsche Cup. And, you know, I’m driving it most of my time, actually. So, yeah. It’s your favorite as well? Yeah, that, that’s one of my favorites. Uh, I think. This series is one of the best in the racing, in my opinion, um, because, you know, people just driving really carefully, uh, because no traction, no ABS system, um, you get in cleaner races compared to GT3s, uh, I still remember, you know, a race, uh, there was Monza on week 14th, uh, which was official and, um, MG3s, they just crashed after Lesmo, before Skari, this long straight.

They somehow, like, [00:10:00] five or six cars just crash here. I was like, how they did this actually?

Bell Wells: Yeah, I’m kind of afraid of the GT3s. They’re maybe my least driven road car. Maybe not, actually. I don’t know. I dabble in all the things, but I’m very afraid of them because I’m not aggressive in them.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, sometimes they’re too aggressive and sometimes they just You know, doing really bad mistakes, which cause big crashes in GT3s.

I know, so that’s why I prefer Porsche Cup more. Yeah. I love Porsche Cup. So fun. From what series, actually, did you move to Porsche Cup in everything?

Bell Wells: Uh, I kind of just I feel like I I don’t know, I kind of jump around in everything. But I definitely do, I think I started in Mazdas before. It [00:11:00] didn’t, it took me a long time to get out of the rookies.

I was really afraid to drive next to people, I was mostly just getting lapped, trying to learn tracks. For like two years. Now I feel like I can kind of keep up and actually follow people around.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, I think you’re driving pretty good right now. And, uh, I see this in the Porsche Sports All Stars. So I see how you improve.

Uh, so you did really good lap times with GTPs. Uh, the Yeah, I can see you

Bell Wells: guys still at the end of it.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: You know, uh, to be honest, like, uh, some previous, uh, years with the Porsche All Stars, they didn’t have that, uh, competitive, uh, streamers in this series. So, uh, last two or three years, uh, They get really fast drivers, like, for example, Oh, wow.

Casey Kirwan with a 10k rating, yeah, and some other people with 8k, [00:12:00] 7k, 6k. So, yeah, pretty much everybody’s so fast, competitive, and, uh, you know, it’s really hard to overtake. It’s really hard to fight. And some people defend like lions.

Bell Wells: Yeah, really. I’m trying to learn from all of you guys, Sponge. Sponge,

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: the education.

Actually, I think that that’s really cool that you spend, uh, like more time in the Mixed Five. So it seems like you learn a lot of stuff in this series. And, uh, with this experience, you moved then to Porsche Cup and to some other series, which you’re doing also daily. Um, how was it for you to do first ever, uh, championship with Porsche All Stars?

How was it for you?

Bell Wells: Ooh, that made me so nervous last year. It still makes me very nervous. This year’s a little bit better, I feel. I used to get really, really, really nauseous before the P. E. S. S. Graces. This last Saturday wasn’t too bad. We’ll see how this one goes, but [00:13:00] far less nauseous. It’s very nerve wracking.

Do you get nervous for them still?

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Uh, you know, not really. This is my first year, and like Okay, I’m just going to do my best. So for Daytona, I was really sure in my pace and in the car as well, because I did 24 hours of Daytona in GTP. So I had quite a lot of laps on this track. Yeah, a lot of practice. And I felt like, okay, so maybe like, We’re going to finish like top 10 or I’m just someone just going to crash me.

So yeah, this is what happened actually. And I’m like, okay, okay. I’m not PLS. That’s good. PLS. Yes. Yeah. I’ll take

Bell Wells: care of that.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: I’m feeling so sorry about. Emily Jones, because she woke up like it’s 4 or 5 a. m. for her, yeah, and she just crashed in both races.

Bell Wells: You’re expected to be functional then. Yeah, well, this is probably ready for a [00:14:00] nap after that.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: So yeah, but First season, uh, which I did with, uh, with Pascal Stars, I was really nervous, I was, uh, you know, missing the start with Portia Cup, some other stuff happened, so I think I spawned once or something like this happened, so don’t feel bad for this, I think it’s, it’s okay to be nervous, like, uh It’s a

Bell Wells: rite of passage.

Yeah. I’m sure we’re all nervous, mine just is like full display, I

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, it was in the same way for me. Um, what do you think about Mugello? How, uh, do you think you’re going to perform here on this track?

Bell Wells: I quite like Mugello. I did it when P Cup was there last season. Or, wait, maybe just a couple weeks ago.

It wasn’t even that long ago. It was rough for me. Hard to learn. But then I just tried the GT3 there and it feels It’s a lot easier for me than the P cup.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: We’ll

Bell Wells: see in the race. [00:15:00] But I felt like the GT3 is a little bit easier for me to control there.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: I love the P cup. Mugello, it’s uh, I know, it’s like a Some kind of lead Brent Hatch for me, something like this.

So I race it a lot in the set of Corsa also, uh, because, uh, this is a home track for Valentino Rossi. I’m a big fan of him. And, uh, so I started to learn it, uh, did some open wheelers here, some GT3s as well. Um, so we’ll see how I’m going to perform here in GT3s and we’ll see if we’re not going to get into some crashes on the track.

Yeah, I’ll see you out there. So, wish you all the best for Mugello, uh, I think that, that’s going to be an interesting, uh, race indeed, and, uh, really cool track to drive, I’m so happy that, uh, it’s finally not Imola or Monza, it’s, uh, something different, yeah. I know, yes,

Bell Wells: I don’t mind Imola, [00:16:00] Monza’s alright, but I quite, I really, really like Mugello, I think it’s my favorite Italian track.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Mm hmm. What do you think about Misano, do you like Misano as well?

Bell Wells: I don’t think I know it. I don’t really know that one.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Can’t,

Bell Wells: can’t compare it

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: yet. Okay, um, so speaking about tracks, uh, what is your favorite combo with Porsche Copia? Because that’s your favorite series, definitely.

Bell Wells: Probably with Nords. I like to do the NECs when they come around, those four hour races in the P Cup.

Oh, I love them. I miss them.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Really cool. Okay. For me, that’s going to be being Road Atlanta with Porsche Cup because Road Atlanta is my favorite track. I really like it, uh, because people just on official uh, weeks, uh, struggling with this track a lot in Porsche Cup so you can, uh, get top five quite easily here because I got on this [00:17:00] track.

Um, so yeah, but, yeah, Mizano is such a good track, so you have to try it, uh, if you will have time. I think I

Bell Wells: must have done maybe just one or two races there. I can’t picture it. I’ll have to do a refresher to really assess. All

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: right. Um, do you plan to do Outside of iRacing, do you plan to try maybe Assetto Corsa Evo, or like, maybe Le Mans Ultimate, or you want to stick only with one simulator?

Bell Wells: I have dabbled in some of the other ones. My husband will play the other ones a lot more, and like, uh, is it R Factor that has the old cars? And Nords sometimes. Really cool old cars. I mostly stick with iRacing. He kind of branches out. I’ve tried Le Mans Ultimate. That was fun. I just never went back. I haven’t tried the Assetto Corsa [00:18:00] Evo yet.

Have you?

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, I tried it and, you know, it, it feels for me really close to a racing, uh, with the force feedback, with, uh, how you brake with the car. Um, so for now it looks really promising for me because, uh, I used to Really dislike the ACC, uh, because I don’t understand how to brake here. I don’t understand how to properly, um, Like, control the car in this simulator, so it took me a real long time to get used to GT3s right here after my racing.

Uh, so AC Evo feels a lot better and it’s actually so fun to drive. It looks, uh, clean and nice. So yeah, I, I really like it so far. It’s going to be interesting.

Bell Wells: Is it weird to switch back and forth between iRacing and Assetto Corsa? Does it feel totally different?

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Like

Bell Wells: relearning?

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, you know, when I, um, tried some championships in [00:19:00] ACC, uh, and I did iRacing a lot, uh, as well, uh, it was really hard to get used to it, uh, after iRacing.

hours for me. Um, for example, different thing happened for me when I switched to your factor two for virtually months. Um, and I was like, Oh yes, like I can drive it. Uh, you know, the car feels almost the same. I like in a racing and, uh, I get used to it fast. Yeah. And I feel like kind of the same thing happened with me for Assetto Corsa Evo.

Uh, so I feel like it’s, it’s more like iRacing, uh, than, uh, like Assetto Corsa or Assetto Corsa Competizione because, uh, Assetto Corsa completely different, uh, to Competizione as well. So it can be a little bit weird. Uh, especially after racing, uh, also due to the Ferrari sport championship, the one race, uh, and.

I [00:20:00] felt really weird after erasing, I was like, well, what to do with it, actually? This is how you’re feeling. Yeah, so far, AC Evil looks really cool. And I’m looking forward for Open World, which they’re going to have and all this stuff. It’s going to be really interesting. Oh

Bell Wells: yeah! Oh yeah, you’re supposed to be able to drive around, like, Nords.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah. I think you have to try, because you really like Nords also.

Bell Wells: Yeah, right? I don’t know if I can make it to Germany in real life, but I can in the video games. Yeah. That will do.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: That’s right. Um, speaking about your setup, uh, So you said there you got the G29 right now, uh, did you use it before and what equipment you got right now?

Bell Wells: Yes, we actually gave my brother the Logitech, so we don’t have that anymore. And then on our other little setup is the [00:21:00] Fanatec CSL wheelbase, and this is a DD1 podium. Nice. Yes. Powerful. But they’re all just clamped to a wheel stand, and it’s pretty, uh, just kind of drilled together. It’s not the sturdiest, but it works.

Usually.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: That’s the main thing, if it works, you know. Yes. Exactly. Oh, that’s real cool that you got, uh, DD. So you, you had it, uh, right from the start, right?

Bell Wells: Uh, we had the CSL base pretty early on from the beginning. We weren’t on the Logitech for very long. My husband was like, I want something with more force, something bigger and better.

Pretty quickly. We got this second hand from someone from my stream and it actually has just been great.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: That’s nice. Uh, how [00:22:00] was the transition from low end equipment to the high end DDE podium from Final Tech for you?

Bell Wells: Um, uh, I’m shocked at how powerful the wheels can be. It’s like amazing. Considering we were just on like controllers, it’s, I can’t believe they can do this.

I found the biggest difference when I changed my pedals, though. And I used the Hussienfield Sprints from the Logitechs, because the Logitech ones, they feel like toys compared. I love the new pedals. I feel like that’s the biggest difference when we upgraded the pedals. The wheel is nice and fun. It’s fun to have a bunch of force feedback and Like, have to muscle through it, but the pedals, I think, actually make a difference with, like, my braking, I could feel completely different.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, definitely, I agree with you in this, uh, that pedals, the most important thing in the, [00:23:00] in the rig, uh, because when I switched also from Logitech pedals to TLCM, so it was like, wow, finally can, You know, can break properly. I can feel it. Yeah, I can feel the break in and I can control the trail break in properly.

And also, yeah, I just stopped to lock up wheels on formulas. And, uh, yeah, I think the pedals give you really good, uh, feelings and definitely if you got the opportunity to, uh, switch, uh, to low tail pedals, you have to do this first. Uh, and then yeah, I agree.

Bell Wells: The wheel is a bonus.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, you know, wheelbase is more, uh, about having fun.

So, as you said, it’s really cool that it’s powerful, yeah, and you feel the whole force feedback and everything. So it’s actually really fun to have and really fun to experience these feelings. Um, but, uh, the biggest improvement I think pedal is going to give you anyway. [00:24:00]

Bell Wells: Yes, I agree. You got to drive, you’ve driven

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: in real life too, right?

Yes, I did some open wheelers, so, Formula 4, the same chassis as we got in a racing. Awesome, that’s fun. Yeah, and you know, TLCM pedals feels quite close to what I felt, uh, in real life with Formulas, because, uh, pedals not really, uh, strong in Formulas, like, uh, I pushed Around 70 kilos or something like this So yeah, it just feels great with low tail pedals and I’m pretty sure like sprints Also good pedals as well like, you know, any low tail pedals are better than Logitech pedals Right,

Bell Wells: Logitech Like rubber bands

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: All right How did you actually start streaming?

So I [00:25:00] know that you got a husband who’s really into simracing and all this stuff, uh, but, uh, how you get into streaming.

Bell Wells: Um, I was actually streaming other games. I was playing Planet Zoo, where you just make, like, giant zoos. It’s very wholesome. There’s no yelling. There’s no winning or losing. It’s very mellow.

I actually, I think it just kind of started with COVID again, and I used to work as a nanny, so I wasn’t really working that much because everyone was home, and it kind of started as like a hobby, and my husband would stream with me on my channel, and then it just kind of stopped, and I Started doing just iRacing instead of Planet Zoo.

I still do other games, but I mostly do

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: iRacing. How do you feel, uh, to balance, uh, with driving and [00:26:00] with talking with the chat at the same time? Uh,

Bell Wells: sometimes mistakes are made.

But really it’s not, it’s not too hard. I noticed in, I’m like in a really intense race or side by side with someone or pesk, I get distracted very easily. Much harder for me to read chat. But overall, it’s not too hard for me to just glance over and keep it going. I love having chat. It makes the races even more fun.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, that’s true. You know, it feels really weird to not have a chat and not have a stream and races. So I did, I think, a couple of races off stream and was like, no, I’m not going to do them anymore. Like, it’s more fun on a stream, definitely.

Bell Wells: I always end up talking to myself. I’m like, okay, here we go.

Everyone is talking to myself.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: What was the funniest moment in SimRacing which you remember? [00:27:00] Like maybe some races or some stuff happening on the stream, something like this?

Bell Wells: Ooh, I don’t know. I feel like all of the crashes, I love a giant pileup. I think it’s why I like Draftmaster so much. Those crack me up usually. I love a good mess.

Uh, really the crashing and I don’t know. I feel like some, some of the things that people will insult each other with are very mean, but also sometimes very funny.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: That’s true. This, um, every time I’m jumping into C Tracks, uh, you know, we’ll chat like, okay, we’re going to have all podcasts. Nice.

Bell Wells: There’s going to be some jibber jabber there.

There’s usually some fun things over the voice chat and ovals.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, it’s so funny. How do you feel to be a female streamer and a female sim [00:28:00] racer as well in the, like, male community? Uh, did you face any I know people who’s like against you or something like this or like everybody, uh, most of the time friendly and nice.

Bell Wells: I think everyone’s all, I’ve only had friendly. I really haven’t had any issues, which I’m kind of shocked at, honestly. But everyone’s been quite nice and very welcoming, very helpful.

My mom has a lot of questions. She’s always like, where are the other girls? I was like, they’re in there. There’s one. They’re out there. I like, uh, I kind of like, uh, I have an older brother, so I always enjoyed trying to keep up with him and his friends and stuff. So I think I kind of like competing with the boys.

I love beating the boys if I can.[00:29:00]

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Well, the same thing happened with me. I think, uh, so I started with, with Carsing when I was nine and I really like, uh, you know, make boys cry because I was winning races this year. I

Bell Wells: love it. Yes. So you’ve been doing it for a long time. Yeah.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: And, uh, during streaming, and during, uh, some races in a racing, I met some people who’ve been, uh, you know, bullying me, or, like, doing, message some, some weird stuff, uh, something like this, uh, but

Bell Wells: Just, like, silly stuff.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, but recently, like, that was in 2020, recently, most of the time, everybody, like, uh, so Welcoming. So friendly. And, um, as you said, communities are really supportive. Um, so we’ve been talking about this, uh, like girls saying that, uh, for example, in the set of course, or in Gran Turismo, [00:30:00] they also, uh, got really supportive community.

And to be honest, it’s really, uh, cool to see, um, because me as the coming from racing and racing, uh, in real life is really. Toxic sometimes. Uh, so yeah,

Bell Wells: I bet.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah. You just, uh, coming to some racing and you’re like, wow, everybody like so happy that you’re here and you’re like, wow, , this is, oh, that’s

Bell Wells: so

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: nice,

Yeah. That, that’s nice. And you know it, it’s really weird feeling that you’re getting this actually. Uh, so I was really happy to. Dive into simracing community and to the streaming as well because everybody like really supportive and welcome you and they trying to Help you they trying to yeah, and I would cheer you up when you get a crash or something like this So it’s really cool.

All right, and um, so what do you think can be done to encourage more girls to? [00:31:00] Jump into simracing and jump into maybe simracing streaming and all the stuff which we’re doing I

Bell Wells: feel like just keep going, keep going, keep having, like you said, the community is really nice and welcoming. We have Innit and stuff.

There’s lots of different communities you can find in it. I really just think trying new things is, I’m so glad I tried iRacing. I can’t believe I almost missed out on this. I almost didn’t play this game.

But I really just think the community is I think we help each other. Keep a nice safe space and you, uh, we encourage each other. I can ask questions and people will answer them. It’s, yeah. Everyone’s been very nice. I’m quite shocked. It’s been very helpful, Twitch.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, community is really nice and I think just because [00:32:00] people are going to see more girls who are streaming like you, like I, and other people.

And also in Nittysports, we got, uh, Podcast with different girls from motorsports and from simracing as well. I really hope it’s going to inspire some girls To jump into simracing and feel like home. Yeah And feel that here is a community which can support and also that’s a really cool hobby to have Because you got different kind of races.

You can do roads. You can do endurances. You can do spring races ovals rallycross rally. Yeah So, um, so yeah, here’s a lot of stuff to do and, uh, I hope that we’ll have more girls in the future and I

Bell Wells: think we will. I feel like it’s slowly kind of catching on a little bit more.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Mm hmm. All right, you just said about Raleigh, yeah?

I think I saw you did some Raleigh, [00:33:00] um, on stream. So can you tell me about this a little bit more? Was it Mount Washington?

Bell Wells: I want iRacing to add more tracks like that. So fun. Uh, sometimes my chat and I will have like, uh, almost kind of, oh, they have a time trial there right now, maybe, or a time attacks, or we’ll just arrange it ourselves amongst each other.

Kind of a friendly competition, try and beat each other’s times on the downhill, which is very fun. Feels very scary, lots of crashing, many cars were crashed, but it’s a really fun conquest to just get a little bit faster.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Uh, did you try any games like Dirt Rally or something like this?

Bell Wells: I’ve done a little bit of Dirt, I think it was Dirt 2.

0, and then a little bit of Richard Burns Rally, but I haven’t, not Not super, like, really committed to it or done [00:34:00] any particular tracks or anything. Right. I do love it. It’s very fun.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, Rally is fun and, uh, you know, it’s different compared to, uh Totally different. Yeah, because you, you have to really focus of, uh, what spoiler telling you, uh, to not miss the next corner.

Yeah. Yeah, it’s, it’s really fun. I like Rally because it’s And

Bell Wells: it’s you against

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, it’s completely different and it’s really fun to do, definitely. Um, do you like, uh, to do, would you like to do some endurance races in the future? I’m not sure if I saw you doing some. Um, so do you like some team racing, you know, racing as well?

Bell Wells: Yes, I do. I love the endurance races. I just did the 24 hours of Daytona. Mm-hmm . We did a GT three. Very fun. I kind of wish it was GTP. That would’ve been good practice. , . I do love the Endurances. They’re [00:35:00] very, uh, I also like when I can do them by myself, like the four hour ones. Mm-hmm . Very fun. I love how, they’re very different, like you get a, usually I get a black flag, a meatball, it’s like the adventure of endurance races, you collect all the things, but it’s such an adventure.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Alright, uh, speaking about Daytona 24, how was it for you and, um, how was it to have rain for the first time ever in Daytona 24?

Bell Wells: Oh, I had all the dry stints. I didn’t have to deal with it at all. It was all my teammates. But I love having the rain. I think, I feel like I just did an endurance race where it was a little bit wet and we maybe started on dry tires.

I love the rain. It’s really spiced up all of the races.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Do

Bell Wells: you

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: like the rain? Yes, I really like Reign in, uh, I think Formula 1 600. I really like to drive this car in Reign. I haven’t tried that. I like Porsche Cup and [00:36:00] Reign. Uh, speaking about GT3s, I’m kind of struggling with GT3s and Reign. Um, but yeah, those two cars I really like in Reign.

They’re so fun. And people making mistakes was for Chicago. I remember it’s a Red Bull ring with the rain conditions and just people starting to, uh, you know, hunting you for position and they missing the break in or something and just go straight because it’s really wet on the track. So yeah, it’s really funny.

Yeah, I feel like

Bell Wells: that really changes it. It’s kind of an equalizer, I feel like, the rain.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, true. So what position did you get in, uh, in Daytona, and did you finish it? Because, uh, we did, uh, with Olympus Esports, and we’ve been in GTP class and split number four. Uh, and out of 22 GTPs, only four finished the race.

We finished P5. Oh my gosh! Yeah. Oh my

Bell Wells: gosh!

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: We actually didn’t finish last. [00:37:00] Six or five hours, so, and we’re like, okay, we have to code in the car.

Bell Wells: It’s the rave. I definitely saw some issues with the prototypes when we were driving around. I think we finished like 10th ish, maybe? I can’t, I don’t exactly recall.

But I do know we finished. I think we had three meatballs along the way.

Definitely a black flag that I earned from penalties, yes.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Well, I think in terms of, uh You know, repairs and all this stuff, I think, uh, repairs on GT3 is a lot better, uh, because we, like, twice get the, the meatball flag with GTP and it’s Not really like 40

Bell Wells: minutes. Yeah, it’s it’s

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: not really good With condition really so that’s why we decided like, okay, we crashed get a meatball flag and we’re like, okay We’re not going to continue because car [00:38:00] going to be undrivable.

So my teammate he just drove straight to the wall and whole front just a broken Uh, and we were like, okay.

Bell Wells: We don’t need that. Yeah, we don’t need that.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: We don’t need to finish, like, the last five hours of this. You know? Still top five, and still gain high rating and safety rating, so good.

Bell Wells: That’s so crazy. It must have been a struggle with the GTPs. Do you like the GTPs? I’m not very good at them. I don’t drive IMSA very often, so definitely don’t prototype often.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Well You know, that was my second Daytona in GTP, uh, one of the last one I did was a BMW GTP. There was only one GTP in a racing by this time. Um, I really enjoyed them. They really cool to drive. Definitely. Um, they are. I don’t really enjoy them in rain, uh, [00:39:00] because you can gain this boost. It’s really hard to do.

And because of that, you just sometimes going slower than LMP2s, uh, because LMP2s got, got the engine and on, on their engine, then going faster than GZP because we can gain boost and rain conditions. Um, but overall, I think it’s really fun car to drive and a lot easier, uh, in terms of what. You’ve got in cockpit, uh, adjustments compared to LMP 1, uh, which we had before.

Oh, yeah!

Bell Wells: I only did that for a little bit. I had just started doing multi class in IMSAs when they got rid of the, what is it? And there’s a push to boost button. Yeah. Very interactive, that one.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Here is just a lot of stuff in LMP1 and I didn’t do them because of that. I knew some friends of mine who’ve been really into.

LNP ones and they like, Oh, I know what to do with it. And, uh, yeah, it [00:40:00] was just staying away from it. Uh, but speaking about GDPs, they a lot easier and I really like to drive them. That was really fun to do, uh, at Daytona. Um, do you plan any endurances, uh, in the future? Like what this would be for you?

Bell Wells: Ooh, I think Bathurst is coming up.

I’m not sure if I’ll be here for that one. I might be on a snowboarding trip. But there is always Nords 24 hours. I would love to do that. That’s kind of the next one I’m thinking of. Also when the NECs come back. Cool. Those count, right? Four hour endurance. Yeah, I love those.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: So outside of sim racing, you got also snowboarding as your hobby.

How long are you doing this?

Bell Wells: Um, I’ve snowboarded since I was eight but took a long break in between because I lived in a desert and then picked it [00:41:00] back up with my husband when I was like 20 and he kind of taught me more. He’s taught me everything. He’s taught me sim racing. He’s taught me snowboarding.

Very helpful. Great teacher. Nice.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Well, that’s the best thing in the world, I think, when you got a partner who supports you in, like, in everything. And also, if, like, your husband doing stuff together with you, this is, like, even more awesome.

Bell Wells: Yes, the shared hobbies. It’s so fun.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, indeed. Um, what do you like the most about snowboarding?

Because I did some snowboarding, uh, like three, four years ago or something like this. Uh, so I learned, uh, quite good. Uh, but I just didn’t have opportunity then to, to go to the mountains because I lived in a place where here’s no mountains. And so right now, [00:42:00] and I just moved to Almaty once again, we’ve got really big mountains and I’m thinking about snowboarding once again, because I really enjoy the speed.

And yes, it’s really fun. It’s

Bell Wells: kind of like the same feeling as racing. I like to go fast. I like to It, like, it gives me butterflies, it’s very fun. We’re dabbling in the terrain park, so I like kind of trying tricks, but not anything crazy, like I can barely get on a rail, but it’s just fun to try something and slowly, slowly achieve it.

It’s kind of like getting better at a track, you’re just slowly finding seconds and tenths. I just like fun, it’s just fun. I do also like being outside, it’s fun to be out there in the sunshine.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Nice, that’s really cool that you’re doing some other stuff outside of some racing and streaming, uh, really cool.

Um, yeah, what I really like about snowboarding that when you, uh, just [00:43:00] riding in the morning when you got this fresh snow and, uh, here’s not a lot of people and it’s like completely silence here and you just riding the mountain, it’s beautiful.

Bell Wells: Yeah, it’s kind of meditative in a way, especially out there in the trees, on the mountain, in the snow, it’s very nice.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah,

Bell Wells: that’s really

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: cool. Um, what do you think you, uh, going to do this year, uh, outside of the Porsche, eSports, All Stars. So we already aware that you’re doing this championship and I hope it’s going to be, uh, good and fun. And so even if we’re going to have a lot of crashes, I hope it’s going to be fun for everybody.

Uh, so aside of this, uh, what are you, what’s your plans for some racing and streaming?

Bell Wells: I don’t really have any other plans, just keep racing, keep having fun, I would love to get, I don’t know, I don’t really have any goals, I just want to [00:44:00] keep getting better, slowly better, slowly faster, keep having fun.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: This is, uh, the best goal which you can have actually, so just have fun, and, uh, I I think that I got kind of the same goal for this year, so I just want to have fun with some racing, because when I was trying to push to the 4 5k in iRacing, I was like, I was feeling really horrible after this, I was like, oh no, I don’t want to race iRacing, you know?

Uh, so right now I’m just like, okay, I want to have fun, I want to have fun races, maybe do some Assetto Corsa, Evo, maybe some Microsoft Flight simulator, just to not have all the time in iRacing. Yeah.

Bell Wells: That’s always fun. Yes, I do like flying planes sometimes in between as well. I think that’s so funny. We all kind of dabble in the flight sim as well.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Did you try the new flight sim?

Bell Wells: I haven’t, my husband has done it. I’ve barely, [00:45:00] I’ve just watched it probably. I don’t even think I’ve done a landing challenge in it. Does your husband

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: fly? Yes, he, he’s flying also. So, yeah, that’s why we My husband loves flying. Yeah, that’s why we started. So he did some DCS World and some Microsoft Flight Simulator as well.

And he already tried some career mode and new one. Which I didn’t, uh, really looking forward for this, because it’s really interesting, because you got some, like, rescue missions, uh, you got, uh, some commercial flights, and, uh, Oh

Bell Wells: yeah, they added a lot more. It’s really

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: cool, yeah.

Bell Wells: The bush flights.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah. I do like that.

I really want to, you know, learn how to fly on helicopter because I already learned how to fly on planes, so I can take off, landing, do all the stuff and some navigation as well, but I got no clue how to fly helicopters [00:46:00] because they’re so complicated for me, but here’s a really cool missions like rescue people from mountains and you have to do this with helicopter and some other stuff as well.

Fun. Makes me want to try it. Yeah, we’ll jump into this as well. That’s, you know, that’s really nice that you got a person who’s into flights and sims and simracing, snowboarding, like, it’s really cool. Have you tried

Bell Wells: the, um, truck simulator where you’re the big semi trucks and you drive those around?

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Ah, you ever tried a truck simulator too?

I tried this, uh, we stream it. a lot of time. And I also had a convoy with my my friends. Yeah, it was really fun. And also my husband to join us with a convoy. So yeah, it was really fun. But, you know, I think I’m, [00:47:00] I want to have more time in the flight scene right now, because it’s still completely new for me.

And it’s always It’s kind of funny to learn new things and, uh,

Bell Wells: Yes, I agree. I love learning new things.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Jump into some other simulators where you’re just a noob. So it’s a good feeling. Uh, so yeah. A rookie again? Yeah, be a rookie again. It’s really fun. Uh, because in iRacing, we, we pro already.

All right, um, what advice can you give to newcomers in iRacing, uh, from your side?

Bell Wells: Um, I think just keep it fun. Like, I get frustrated when I try a little too hard, but Just keep it fun. Keep it light. It is still a game. I do love that it’s, like, [00:48:00] competitive and it has that, that side to it, but it’s also, it’s so fun.

It’s such a fun game. I’ve made friends over iRacing. It’s Fun to explore, try new things, you can discover the love of dirt ovals, oval ovals, road roads. Some roller coasters as well.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yes. Because it can be really fun. It’s not really popular in iRacing, but I think it’s just an underrated category in iRacing.

Because I used to do them a lot and it’s always really fun, especially these jumpy tracks, so I really like them.

Bell Wells: Yes, get some air, get the butterflies. Yes,

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: that’s true. Um, and can you give also advice, uh, from, from what equipment to start with? Because usually I’m telling people that you can start with whatever equipment you got.

Like if you got G27, [00:49:00] you have to jump into a racing. So what do you think about this from your side?

Bell Wells: I agree. I agree. I don’t think you need, like, a direct drive to start iRacing. I think it’s good to see if you like it first. Like, I didn’t think I was going to be this into it, so I was like, okay, Logitech, little wheel, this is perfect.

Like, I didn’t realize it could get this crazy with the prices, and, like, I didn’t even know they had this kind of equipment, that it was so strong I could barely turn the wheel. It’s a fun, it’s a fun thing to discover, but yeah. You can honestly start with just a controller, like that’s the first racing games I did when I was like 13 a million years ago.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, controller can be okay for some games, uh, I know that some people started even iRacing with a controller and then they moved to the wheelbase. Um, so yeah, just, uh, you know, sometimes in the internet, uh, here’s some Uyghur people who’s like, you have to start from D Didi wheels [00:50:00] and, uh, like prop pedal.

Yeah. Right from the start. And I kind of disagree with this because, uh, yeah, yeah. Just

Bell Wells: start.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah. I feel like, uh, people who’s coming to some racing, uh, so some racing should be, um, like more open for everybody and it doesn’t matter, uh, which equipment, equipment you got. So if you got exactly. Anything, you have to jump and start and try it, uh, if you like it, then you can continue and, uh, step by step upgrade, uh, the rig which you got.

Bell Wells: Yes, I agree. I feel like people think they Uh, like, need to not be bad, like they can’t suck at something to start it, but that’s where I always start, is being very bad. I suck. I embrace the suck, I love starting something, a new challenge. Start bad and then work your way up.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, you know, it’s, uh, completely okay if you, you just started the, the new things, uh, for yourself, you’re [00:51:00] learning and, uh, you’re growing step by step, and it’s okay if you, um, not really good in the beginning.

Your equipment or your knowledge, yeah,

Bell Wells: isn’t top notch, it’ll get there.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, that’s true. Um. Also, I started from G27, uh, in 2020 from single monitor and now I got the D, load cell pedals and triple screen. Of course, people who

Bell Wells: Surrounded by screens. Yeah,

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: I mean, of course, people who’s coming to streams, they’re like, Oh, you already got high equipment, but when they’re asking me, they’re like, Oh, you really started with G27?

I also got G27. And, um, I think it’s really cool that I got this experience that I went step by step in equipment as well because I would like to inspire more people to just

Bell Wells: try some racing. Yes, it gives you good perspective too. So now when you push on the pedals and it’s not a Logitech you’re like, oh, that feels good.

That’s nice.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: That’s [00:52:00] right. Um, the last one will be for you. Um, which of the rounds in Porsche e sports all stars are you wasting the most? This season, of course.

Bell Wells: Oh, that I want to have happen or I’m nervous about?

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Uh, you want to happen.

Bell Wells: Oh, I’m kind of nervous about all of them and I’m not very good at any of the tracks.

I don’t really know Thruxton yet. Oh, me too. Do you know

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Thruxton? Me too. I’ve got no idea about this track.

Bell Wells: Don’t really know Fuji. I don’t love Lamon. I’m actually quite excited. Saxon Ring, is that how you say it? The new one? I like that one. Yeah. P Cup was there recently too, that one’s fun.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: I think this one will be, yeah, will be fun with Porsche Cup.

And I tried it in Raceroom a long time ago, but I hope my brain still remembers this. The muscle memory. Yeah, the muscle memory and all the stuff. So yeah, and Fuji, [00:53:00] I think you should be okay with Fuji, so you just need to practice this track. But, uh, recently I tried it with GTPhrase and I really like it, you know, just going with the flow.

Here is the some cool corners on this track. So I’m looking forward for Fuji, I think, in this season. So yeah,

Bell Wells: I’m looking forward to anything that’s not GTP, just because GTPs I’m a little intimidated by still.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Do you have the racing license? So here’s just some messages in chat about this. Yeah. Oh, so you won’t I don’t have

Bell Wells: a driver’s license.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Ah, you won’t get the racing license there in real life. Ah, so it sucks in ring. Okay, got it. So it sucks in ring. That’s really cool. Oh. Yeah. You know, German tracks are really Yeah.

Really fun, yeah. [00:54:00] So Saxon Ring, I think, should be okay with Porsche Cup. Um, about Mugello, yeah, like, I don’t know this track, so I’m going to do some practice. I do like

Bell Wells: Mugello. Yeah, starting, yeah, we have a couple days.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Um. Okay, here’s a question for you. What is your favorite track in general? So that’s the Nordschleife, I guess.

Bell Wells: Definitely Nordschleife, yeah, definitely Nordschleife. I don’t even like the Nürburgring Grand Prix part. It’s okay, but my favorite is the Nordschleife bit.

Lyubov Ozeretskovskaya: Yeah, if, uh, you would ask me, I think I would choose the Nords without GB part because I really dislike this mixed Nordschleife, it’s so funny, I’m glad I’m not the only one.

No, you’re not the only one. Alright, it was nice to talk with you about A lot of different stuff, uh, thank you so much, I wish you good luck in Porsche eSports this Saturday, next Saturday as well, then we’ll [00:55:00] have a little break. You too. Thank you so much, and uh, good luck to your streams, uh, and to your daily races in eRacing, thank you so much for being here, and guys, thank you so much for watching, we’ll see you next Thursday, bye bye!

Bell Wells: Bye!

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