8/13/2013
Wayne Helliwell Jr
Whole-lotta Sandwiches
How many sandwiches can you buy with a big check; about a 1000 if they are $5 foot-longs from the title sponsor of the Subway Fresh Fit 150. That's how many Wayne Helliwell Jr. and car owner Bruce Bernhardt could purchase with the $5,000 winning check, after capturing their second victory in the 150-lap event at Canaan Fair Speedway Sunday afternoon.
The non-sanctioned event which was originally scheduled back in May saw Helliwell work his way from the sixth starting position in his heat to finish third and join the redraw of the top-12 starters for the 150 lap feature.
With the help from his daughter Brooke, he would once again start from the sixth position for the main event. Falling into fifth at the drop of the green flag he would ride there for the first 40 laps. Using lapped traffic Helliwell would take the 27NH machine from fifth to second position before lap 50.
The events first caution would fall on lap 71; setting up Helliwell’s first chance at race long leader Guy Caron. Gaining the advantage on the restart but not able to complete the pass. He would fall in line to the third position. “I was just riding… there was no reason to stay out there and burn your stuff up. If you weren't clear by the time you got to the back stretch the pass wasn't going to happen today on the outside.”
As the field battled lap traffic Helliwell would retake the second spot from Aaron Fellows just before the 100-lap mark. As the top-5 cars ran nose to tail through traffic the final two yellows would make the difference.
Caution on lap 139 bunched the field up and gave Helliwell a chance at the outside lane again. Helliwell and Caron took off even at the strip only to see the caution fly again.
The final restart once again on lap 139 was all he needed. Helliwell edged ahead before the pair hit the start-finish line, pulling Aaron Fellows along with him. Helliwell survived the pressure from Fellows over the final 11-circuits to take the Ekeys-4Cars, Unique Ford Fusion machine to its third major event win of the season.
Helliwell happy with the hard fought outcome knew he didn’t have the best car and was happy to bring home the win. “We would have finished just how we are running [nose to tail, Caron-Helliwell-Fellows] without that yellow,” Helliwell stated. “There is just no outside lane during the day here. You can’t make a move; the top 4-5 [cars] were pretty much the same speed.”
Using the quick lesson learned from the first caution on lap-139 Helliwell felt it benefited him to have a do over. “It really helped me. I knew where I needed to start and where the car needed to be on the track. I guess he [Guy Caron] spun his tires… I was flat footed and never lifted till the middle of one-two. It just stuck for me,” Helliwell stated.
The win also earned him a guarantee starting spot for the Fall Brawl at Groveton, New Hampshire’s Riverside Speedway this October. A race Helliwell has won in the past. “We were going anyways,” Helliwell stated. “But you never know what can happen… It’s good to have starting spot.”
The Bernhardt Team now has an all-important three race stretch of American Canadian Tour point’s races in three straight weeks. This Saturday they head to the lone event in the state of Maine at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway; followed by a trip north of the border for the 200-lap event at Riverside Speedway in St. Croix, QC on August 24. The stretch concludes at the 35th annual Labor Day Classic at Thunder Road Speedbowl; a 200-lap event on September 1st.
“This is an important three weeks in this championship battle. It’s make it or break it time for sure…,” Helliwell Finished.
Next Event
What: ACT 150
Where: Beech Ridge Motor Speedway – Scarborough, ME
When: Saturday August 17, 2013 – 7:00pm
Bernhardt Motorsport's thanks their proud partners: EKeys-4-Cars • Unique Ford • Bernhardt Automotive • Pro-Turf Landscaping • DTB Tax • C&M Distributing • Butler MacMaster Performance Racing • Carbonneau Insulation Co • IICCEEE • Ford Racing • Schoenfeld Headers • Sunoco Race Fuels • Bassett Wheels • Joes Racing Products • Quarter Master • ARP Bodies • Welded Media • Mangus Transmissions
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Eric LaFleche / VLF Photos
No sandwiches were harmed in the writing of this press release.
Article Credit: Jason Lubin / Welded Media
Submitted By: Jason Lubin
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