9/3/2012
Wayne Helliwell Jr
Two Title Night
Going into the championship night at Canaan Fair Speedway Wayne Helliwell Jr. and the Bruce Bernhardt Motorsports team had not finished worse than 3rd in 17 races at the New Hampshire oval. In fact they have either won or finished 3rd in every race this year. Helliwell who has claimed 12 weekly racing victories and the none points season opener SUBWAY Fresh Fit 150; at one point went 10 wins in a row. That consistency claimed Helliwell his first ever Canaan Fair track championship 3 weeks before the final event. Where mathematical even with missing the prior weeks racing action Helliwell entered the final night of racing with a 69 point lead in the overall championship title fight.
With the 2012 track championship in check Helliwell had one goal in mind on the final night of competition, win. His combined effort with the 350 Supermodified at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH has propelled him inside the top 15 in the NASCAR Whelen All-American national standings. Helliwell who is the 5th winningest driver in north america within the NASCAR weekly racing series action needs wins to further advance his overall position in the year end standings.
A 100 lap $1000 to win race would greet the 19 car field for the final race if the season. Helliwell would start from the 6th position in his heat race and quickly drop to the back of the field. Having missed the prior weeks racing at Canaan Fair to attend round #8 of the American Canadian Tour at the Circuit Riverside Speedway in Quebec, he would have to start from the back of the feature. Helliwell would lift and fall to half a track behind the field."They were just racing way to hard for a heat race, said Helliwell. When you get run into the wall and off the backstretch in the first 3 laps it's time to fall in line and ride."
Helliwell would start from the 16th position for the 100 lap event. The caution filled race allowed him choose his battles as he would methodically work his way through the field. Breaking into the top 10 on lap 15 and the top 5 on lap 36. With a yellow on lap 47 Helliwell would restart along side Emily Packard in a battle for the top spot. Multiple yellow flags would slow his progress of completing the pass. Taking the top spot on lap 49 he would never look back winning by a straightaway and claiming win #14 on the year.
The win would officially lock up the 2012 late model track championship and add to his overall hopes of finishing in the top 10 in the NASCAR national standings. "What an unbelievable year, said Helliwell. "This has truly been a dream season here at Canaan. I never would have thought a year like this would be possible… Bruce and the all the guys did a great job to get us here. I'm proud of everyone. The car was a rock tonight. We went through it a few weeks ago and found somethings that were off and its's been so sold since."
Helliwell and the Bruce Bernhardt owned Ekeys-4Cars, Unique Ford Fusion team finished the year at Canaan with 14 wins and four 3rd place finishes in 18 starts. That consistency along with his Lee USA speedway results will lock up his 3rd overall NASCAR New Hampshire state championship with two weeks remaining in the season. The team will transfer their totally focus to the overall American Canadian Tour championship in hopes of winning there first series title. "We will enjoy this… but it will be short lived, there is a lot of racing left to do for us, said car owner Bruce Bernhardt. "We're not done yet…"
Our 2012 Late Model Proud Partners -
EKeys-4-Cars / Unique Ford / Bernhardt Automotive / A Handy Company / DTB Tax / C&M Distributing / Carbonneau Insulation Co / Hillside Country Store / IICCEEE / Ford Racing / Schoenfeld Headers / Sunoco Race Fuels / The Brake Man / Joes Racing Products
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Dave Greenwood Photo
Article Credit: Jason Lubin
Submitted By: Jason Lubin
