He is, of course, talking about the wheelies (Media Tidbit Number Three, for those keeping count at home), which are, at times, so immense that you fear a strong gust might send the car 50 feet into the air. With the engine behind him and the decreased weight up front--partly from a carbon fiber hood--that fear may be fluttering precariously close to reality, which is something Bello recognizes: "That's what I'm trying to cut down on. Wheelies are pretty. They impress people, but they don't give me the times I want. I just want to get a foot off the ground and have some more control of the car and make good times."
So, here is a bit of controversy. Is the sponsorship with Toyo Tires hurting his performance (the company doesn't currently produce a wrinkle-wall drag slick), not to mention compromising the safety of the car? This isn't a question Bello hasn't heard before, as he insists that the sponsorship deal isn't just a matter of money. "The first day I mounted the tires, it shocked me. They were actually better than [my previous slicks]. I don't know what Toyo does to its tires, but they work great. I'm not just saying it to promote them. They really work; obviously the times show they work."
Nobody is disputing his times. In the world of Porsches, it is beyond compare. Whether he can hit 8s is something else altogether. He has the horsepower and the will to do it, that is for certain. What remains unclear is his future after that. He has hinted toward building a tube-chassis Porsche with an engine up front, but readily admits that a creature of that sort would only serve his ego and nothing else. Whatever car he chooses to d, he tells me that his ultimate goal goes beyond the dragstrip.
"I want to bring my name up to the way the name Ruf is known in Germany and known here. I want Bellotech to be known in the same way," he says. I tell him that he's got big shoes to fill. He responds with vivid elan. "Well, I'm beating their cars so I'm not worried about that." He's right, he has surpassed his closest competition and is now his own measuring stick--that much he has accomplished--though he will be the first to tell you that life is much more than just cars. And on that front, the future is still up in the air. "Finally, I think I've found the car that I want to stick with. I haven't really found myself, but I think I'm going in the right direction. I'm finding my way."