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Rebounding

Typically the word rebound is not associated with a victory when a race Team has reeled off 8 straight top-3 podium finishes in American Canadian Tour points paying competition. But if you ask Wayne Helliwell Jr. and car owner Bruce Bernhardt they are both quick to point out they have a lot of work to do.

Helliwell who earned a top-10 finish at Airborne Raceway two weeks ago described his race in the International 500 as “[expletive] awful” stating the highlight of the biggest event on the 2013 calendar was avoiding an accident.

Finishing 11th, 6th and 10th respectively in each of the three 100-lap segments, Helliwell earned a 9th place overall finish in the mega event. Unhappy with his race performance he was more than ready to put it behind him. “We just never got going," he stated. "We got boxed in, in our heat race and had to start the first segment deep in the field… We were not able to carry the speed we saw in the car to the race. The best part of the whole weekend was missing that big wreck in segment two, he finished.”

Helliwell and Team owner Bernhardt who are use to racing some 30+ times a year have competed in just 12 races so far with rain-outs, scheduling issues and personal reasons feel they have been unable to get into a rhythm with their program.

“We had almost twice as many races in at this point last year," Helliwell stated. "You fall into a pattern, a normalcy that makes things just click off. Racing every week has benefited our program the last few years…"

Trying to get back in the swing of things, the duo went to Canaan Fair Speedway to run with the NASCAR Weekly racing series and their twin 25’s on Saturday night. Competing with the same car they planned to use in ACT competition in Vermont the next day.

The Dover, NH pilot put it to good use with a 2nd and 4th place finishes in the twin features; using it as a bit of test session for the Sunday’s main event. “We went to work in some new parts," Helliwell stated. "The tracks are nothing alike but it gave us a chance to work some things in, in a race setting. Sometimes just a test won’t tell what you need in till you put the car in a race pace…”

If track time is what the Pelham, NH based Team needed it showed on Sunday as ACT series headed to upstate Vermont for the St Jude 150 at Devils Bowl Speedway. Helliwell wasted no time in his heat, taking the victory and a +4 to the front row of the 150 lap event.

Helliwell and fellow Welded Media driver Ray Parent had a storied battle for the top spot as the pair swapped the lead 9 times over the first 105 laps. Helliwell would go on to collect his second win of the season and his third straight at the Vermont oval.

“It was hard fought race for sure, Helliwell stated. You would think it being such a long race everyone would have conserved, but with weather coming guys were just full on the whole time. There were maybe 15 laps at the beginning i was just riding, the rest was hard racing.”

Helliwell was happy with the much needed victory to get the Team back on track. “We needed this for sure… This is a good rebound from Airborne [Speedway] that gets us refocused. We will take this momentum to Canada and put it to good use up there, he finished.”

The series heads north of the border for the first time this season with a 150 lap event at Sanair Super Speedway. The 7/8 mile triangle shaped track in St-Pie, Quebec will feature the longest single race distance of the 14 race schedule. The 130 mile event will feature the stars and cars the ACT Sèrie tour along with the American drivers.

Helliwell made his first trip to the Canada oval a year ago a memorable one as he pulled the Ekeys-4Cars, Unique Ford Fusion into victory lane. “Sanair is a good track for us. It will be a high speed action filled race. There will be a lot of good cars up there. I’m looking forward to it, he finished.”

Next Event
What: Sanair 150
Where: Sanair Super Speedway – St-Pie, Quebec
When: Saturday August 3rd - 1:30pm

Bernhardt Motorsport's thanks their proud partners: EKeys-4-Cars • Unique Ford • Bernhardt Automotive • Pro-Turf Landscaping • DTB Tax • C&M Distributing • Carbonneau Insulation Co • IICCEEE • Ford Racing • Schoenfeld Headers • Sunoco Race Fuels • Bassett Wheels • Joes Racing Products • Quarter Master • ARP Bodies • Welded Media • Mangus Transmissions

Follow Wayne:
https://www.waynehelliwelljr.com

https://www.facebook.com/WayneHelliwellJr

https://twitter.com/#!/WayneHelliwell

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Eric LaFleche / VLF Photos

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