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Competing

It was that time of year again when the most prestigious short track race in the northeast was upon us, the 42nd Annual Oxford 250. An event with history and tradition like no other in New England. A race that featured 20-lap qualifying races and 70+ cars in attendance.

Wayne Helliwell, Jr. will be the first to tell you he’s terrible at Oxford Plains Speedway. It’s taken him the better part of his racing to career to figure out how be competitive there.

When the track switched to the American Canadian Tour type cars a few years ago Helliwell showed he can run up front at the flat 3/8-mile oval. He continued that with top-3 runs in both ACT events in 2015. But the super late model has been a different story. The Bruce Bernhardt Team has struggled mightily with the self-designed Helliwell chassis much of the last two years just about everywhere.

While the car has shown speed in short runs, the fall off has been drastic. Helliwell points to consistent change and hard work finding what he feels is a car that can win now.

“This thing has shown it can be fast, look at Thunder Road,” stated Helliwell. “But it’s been so inconsistent. After the last PASS race at Oxford [August 2nd] I think we finally figured it out. We came and tested here a few weeks ago then stayed and raced that night. The car was great; 10-more laps or a yellow and we could have pulled it off that night. We defiantly hit on what our issues have been."

Helliwell went from 18th to 5th during that 50-lap weekly event at Oxford; setting himself up for the 250. Consistently among the fastest times of the weekend during the two days of practice the Team felt confident heading into Sunday. Something they haven’t felt before.

“I said all weekend everything just felt aligned,” stated Helliwell. “ We struggled last week in Canada with the ACT car and somehow finished in the top-3. So coming here we needed to come together and be organized as a Team. Something as simple as parking close to the speedway really set the tone for the weekend. Being here three days really helped everyone get into a rhythm."

Helliwell used that rhythm along with a good draw for the heat races to take home a win from his 5th starting positon in heat six. That put the Ekeys-4-cars Butler Macmaster Ford Fusion outside row three for the 250-lap event. Wasting little time he would put the 27nh on point by lap-16.

Hellliwell’s decision to go to the front early on proved to be a fruitful one. “We were riding there at the beginning and I looked ahead and thought if we’re going to run this pace I can run up front and do this,” stated Helliwell.

That’s what the Dover, NH pilot did for the next 145 laps. Each one earning the Bernhardt Team $100 per lap. Ultimately making it a career earnings day for Helliwell with over $17,000 pocketed when the checkers waved.

While he would come home 7th overall after the final pit stop on lap-190 due to a bad set of tires, Helliwell and the Team left feeling like they had finally run to the potential they are capable of with the super late model.

“The stagger shrunk bad on the last set of tires, “ stated Helliwell. “I couldn’t cut the center like the beginning [of the race]. But the heat race and the first 150 laps, one of the best turning cars I’ve ever had. So much time and effort was put in, it’s really positive to race like that. Seventh sucks but we were mowing them down for three-quarters of that race. We can damn sure build on that...”

Helliwell is simply satisfied with the how far the car has come. "I've actually said i'm gonna park this thing in the wall so we have to cut it up... We've tested a ton this year and tried so many different things. You get to a point where you're beating your head against the wall, nothing works. So that's a good 7th place finish."

After a validating weekend the Team turns back to the battle for the ACT Series title. One point separates Helliwell and Joey Polewarczyk with three races left. The point lead that has swapped hands 6-times through 10-races heads back to Canada in two weeks for Chaudiere 200 at Autodrome Chaudiere in Velle-Jct, QC. He feels this race may be the wildcard left on the schedule as he tries to earn his third series title.

“We haven’t been there in a few years, the last time didn’t go very well, we were not good, “ stated Helliwell. “So it should be interesting. Chaudiere is a bullring and things can go wrong quick at a small track like that. I know we're a much better Team than we were a few years ago, It will still be a fierce battle I’m sure.”

NEXT RACE

WHAT: Chaudiere 200
WHERE: Autodrome Chaudiere – Vallée-Jct., Quebec
WHEN: Saturday, September 12, 2015

Wayne Helliwell Jr. and Bernhardt Motorsport's would like to thank their proud partners: EKeys-4-Cars • Unique Ford • Bernhardt Automotive • Pro-Turf Landscaping • DTB Tax • C&M Distributing • Harpoon Brewery • Butler MacMaster Performance Racing • Spectro Performance Oils • IICCEEE • Ford Racing • Schoenfeld Headers • Sunoco Race Fuels • Bassett Wheels • Joes Racing Products • Quarter Master • ARP Bodies • Welded Media • Mangus Transmissions • Coastal Candle Company • VDL Fuel Systems • PEM Racing Gears • KRC Power Steering • DRP Performance Products • Firestorm Graphics • W.A.R Shocks • Allstar Performance

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

https://www.facebook.com/WayneHelliwellJr

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

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Photo - Troy Bregy

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