 Riding his 1939 Norton, he participated in several races in the immediate post-World War II period including the 1946 Cookstown 100 event where he recorded the fastest lap time of 76.60 mph and winning the 1947 500cc Ulster Grand Prix race with an average speed of 91.25 mph (146 km/h) in a time of 2 hours 43 minutes 1 second, while setting a new lap record of 94.79 mph (151.17 km/h).Bell also won the 1947 North West 200.Following his 1947 Isle of Man performance, Norton picked him up as a works rider for the following season.