Helliwell, Bernhardt File Entries for US, Quebec Tours
Posted By Tj Ingerson On March 1, 2013
Categories: American-Canadian Tour
PHOTO: American-Canadian Tour champions Wayne Helliwell, Jr., and Bruce Bernhardt have filed entries for both the US-based and Quebec-based Late Model Tours for 2013. (Leif Tillotson photo)
--by T.J. Ingerson (@TJIngerson)
VMM Editor
PELHAM, N.H. -- Defending American-Canadian Tour champion Wayne Helliwell, Jr., and car owner Bruce Bernhardt have filed full season entries to run both the American-Canadian Tour United States-based Late Model Series and the Canadian-based ACT Castrol Series.
“The cars have been ready for a few weeks,” Bernhardt said on a press release posted on Helliwell’s official website. “Just a few odds-and-ends to finish, scale, and we’re ready.”
The 14-race ACT US Schedule is set to kick off on Sunday, April 14 at Helliwell’s home track, Lee USA Speedway in Lee, N.H.; Helliwell is an eight-time Lee champion, and finished second to championship runner-up Brian Hoar at Lee last year.
“There is always added pressure when we go to Lee,” Helliwell said in the press release. “The pressure comes from ourselves more than anyone else. Everyone expects to run good there, but no more than we do.
“The tour races have really been up and down for us there. We’ve been unable to really put a complete race together.”
While Helliwell and Bernhardt will defend their US crown, they are planning to travel north of the boarder to Quebec and challenge for the ACT Castrol Series crown. The 11-race ACT Castrol Series will open its season on Saturday, May 25 at Autodrome Montmagny in Montmagny, Quebec.
“We will test the waters in the first few events and see where we stand with it,” Helliwell said. “See if we want to pursue both titles.”
Helliwell, who will race a Small Block Supermodified on Friday nights at Lee USA Speedway during the summer, may run into a potential scheduling conflict on Friday, July 5. Helliwell and Bernhardt were forced to skip a Canaan Fair Speedway race last year, but were able to win the championship anyways.
“It’s a normal deal for us really,” Helliwell said. “We handled it well last year with the Super, Canaan, and the Tour. I see no difference with this.
“We made it work last year. We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
The potential lure of the ACT Castrol Series may come with the potential series bonuses that the promoters have put up for full season participants. Over $400,000 is being offered over the 11-race series, which includes an $80,000 point fund to full season participants; $20,000 of that $80,000 will go to the series champion. An additional $70,000 will be awarded in tire bonus money that will spread evenly throughout the teams that participate in the full season.
The ACT US Late Model Tour and the ACT Castrol Series will combine for two events again in 2013, first at Sanair Super Speedway in Ste-Pie, Que., on Saturday, August 3 and again on Saturday, August 24 at Circuit Riverside Speedway in Ste-Croix, Que.