4/10/2013
Wayne Helliwell Jr
Start Your Engines
This coming Sunday kicks off the 2013 American Canadian Tour season with the New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, NH. To say the series reigning champion Wayne Helliwell Jr. and car owner Bruce Bernhardt are ready to get the new season started and defend their title is an understatement.
“First of all it’s still crazy to think we are the defending champion of the ACT Tour… But we are really looking forward to getting this year kicked off, getting the crew back together and just seeing everyone. It’s been a long off season, said Helliwell.”
The Pelham, NH based Team has been race ready for almost two months and heads to the season opener with full confidents in the state of their racing program. After back to back successful test seasons Helliwell is happy with what they have been able to learn with his self-designed chassis.
“We’ve tested at large and small tracks with both cars and really made some positive gains in learning some things we worked on during the off season. We can’t wait to put them all together at Lee this weekend.”
Once again the season opener takes place a familiar venue for the Dover, NH pilot as Lee USA Speedway will host the opening round of the tour for the 14th time in series history. A track that Helliwell has called home for most of his racing career. The 8-time track champion is one of the winningest drivers in the New Hampshire ovals history. Helliwell says there is more pressure to perform at Lee than any other event on the series schedule.
“To me Lee is most pressure we face all year. Even more so than the championship at Airborne was last year. Really I put that pressure on myself more than it coming from anywhere else. We are expected to run up front there and practically everyone I know attends the event; it’s a big deal for me and our Team... It's time to put a complete race together and get that win there.”
The Bruce Bernhardt owned Team has put much of the same pieces that earned them their first ACT series championship last year back together with the resigning of the Jim Broadhurst owned EKeys-4-Cars and the Goffstown, NH based Unique Ford dealership. They also welcomed back the Pro-Turf Landscaping, C&M Distributing and DTB Tax to the bright orange 27NH. As well as product partners Ford Racing, Schoenfeld Headers, ARP Bodies, Sunoco Race Fuels, Quarter Master, Joes Racing Products and Bassett Wheels.
Helliwell’s career year in 2012 saw him take home 19 victories and multiple championships present a challenge when setting goals with the start of a new racing season. The Team has done just that by adding the Sèrie ACT Castrol schedule to their plans. As they try and take home championships with both touring series. They also planning spending their off weekends running select special events at Canaan Fair Speedway and heading to Thompson Speedway in Connecticut on Thursday nights.
“We are always ambitious in the goals we set, said Helliwell. It’s been a positive thing for us and we’ve been fortunate to exceed them. This year will be no different, we have our work cut out for us for sure… But we are ready for the challenge."
More information about Wayne’s busy racing schedule can be found on his web site www.waynehelliwelljr.com. Complete event information regarding this weekend’s opening round of the American Canadian Tour can be found at www.acttour.com and www.leeusaspeedway.com.
Where: Lee USA Speedway - Lee, NH
When: Sunday April 14th, 2013
What: ACT Governors Cup 150
Gates: 10:00am
Start Time: 1:00pm
Special thanks to our 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
Eric LaFleche / VLF Photo
Article Credit: Jason Lubin / Welded Media
Submitted By: Jason Lubin
