About

Name: Wayne Helliwell Jr
Birthday: April 5th 1977
Wife: Jill (Ferrigno) Helliwell
Children: Britany, Elisabeth, and Brooke
Hobbies: Racing
Years Racing: 26
Favorite Track: Wall Stadium Speedway Wall, NJ
Nickname: The Punisher

How we got to WayneHelliwellJr.com:

Growing up in a garage with a father that raced every weekend it was only natural for the son to follow suit. In 1991 at the age of 13, Wayne Helliwell Jr. or Junior, as he’s known started racing a Rookie Stock at Hudson International Speedway in Hudson, NH. Wayne pulled a less than small Ford Grand Marquis from the junkyard and took it to the races. In what was just supposed to be something to play around with while his father, Wayne Helliwell Sr., raced it only took a few times on the track to realize this is something he wanted to take more seriously. In 1992, reminiscence of the late Dale Earnhardt a pink 01jr Street Stock was born. In just eight races Wayne picked up a victory at Lee USA Speedway and a win in the seasons ending race at Hudson International Speedway

At the age of 15, Wayne would follow the Street Stock division at Lee USA Speedway in his first full season of points racing. Battling down to the final lap of the final race Wayne would take the 1993 Lee USA Speedway Street Stock track championship by just a couple of points.

The following year he would make the move to the Late Model division in the Helliwell Motorsports self designed chassis. In his rookie season in the division he would pick up multiple wins, including a win in the biggest race of the year the “S&J Transportation 100”. A strong fourth place finish in points would cap the year off.

In 1996, Wayne would make the move up the ladder to the premier division, the Super Late Models known as the Pro Stocks. Winning the Lee USA Speedway rookie of the year and taking the win in the Gate City Classic 100 at Hudson International Speedway, Junior would compete in the Pro Stocks over the next couple of years.
Wayne would partner up with Joe Polewarczyk to pilot the Pole Motorsports Late Model in 1999 and 2000. The team would take took home 15 victories, a “S&J Transportation 100”, the 1999 Triple Crown series and the divisions point championship.

In 2001, Wayne would take 11 wins in the Late Model division at Lee USA speedway including the big three again the “S&J Transportation 100”, the Triple Crown series, and the divisions point championship, teaming up with Rick Patenaude in the famed Dracut Sewer car. In 2002, Wayne would move back to the Pro Stock division at Lee USA Speedway. Carlton Robie would also put him behind the wheel of his Pro All Star Series (PASS) Super Late Model. Together they would produce a win during an unsanctioned race at Canaan Fair Speedway in Canaan, NH, two top five’s, and five top ten’s with the traveling PASS Series.

After the 2002 season, Wayne decided to take a different roll from driving on a consistent basis to help grow the families Helliwell Motorsports chassis business. Wayne would become crew chief for his father’s Pro Stock team and focus on building cars. Over the next few years the father and son team would produce multiple winning chassis for racers around New England. During that time, Wayne would often test cars built or setup by Helliwell Motorsports. It was during one of those test sessions that would put junior back behind the wheel full time when Bruce Bernhardt brought his Street Stock into the shop. Taking racing back to his roots, Wayne would pilot the Bruce Bernhardt’s Street Stock to 6 wins and the 2008 Lee USA Speedway Street Stock Championship. During the off-season, the team would build a brand new Late Model and over the next two years Wayne and the Bernhardt Motorsports team would rack up wins in the double digits. Back to back championships at Lee USA Speedway in 2009/2010. Along with the 2010 New Hampshire state NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championships. In 2010, a new program by Ford Racing started to challenge all teams running the S347JR engine against each other. Wayne would earn the inaugural American Canadian Tour’s Ford Blue Oval Challenge championship.

Continuing their winning, in 2011 Wayne and the Bruce Bernhardt team attacked the American Canadian Tour series head on. Visiting many tracks for the first time the team showed amazing consistency, finishing a solid second in their first full season with the tour. Wayne also picked his second consecutive Ford Blue Oval Challenge championship. Victories at Twin State Speedway and Waterford Speedbowl highlighted the season. 2011 also brought new opportunities when Ed & Bobby Witkum asked Wayne to drive their 350 Small Block Supermodified at Lee USA Speedway. In his first full season driving in the open wheeled division, Wayne finished the year with 3 wins, fourteen top 5’s, seventeen top 10’s in seventeen starts. Wayne picked up his 8th Lee USA Speedway track championship and 3rd New Hampshire State NASCAR Whelen All-American Series championship.

In more than 20 years behind the wheel, Wayne has amassed 14 championships and 80+ victories across multiple disciplines of racing. In 2012 you can see him doing much of the same as the previous years, winning.