Helliwell Wins Granite State Pro Stock 100 at Star
Posted By Tj Ingerson On August 17, 2014
Categories: Granite State Pro Stock
PHOTO: Wayne Helliwell, Jr., (#27) and Larry Gelinas (#37) race side-by-side following the final restart of the night during the 100-lap Granite State Pro Stock Series event on Saturday night at Star Speedway. (Matt Wiernasz photo)
EPPING, N.H. -- Wayne Helliwell, Jr., held off former Oxford 250 winner Larry Gelinas during a green-white-checkered finish on Saturday night at Star Speedway to collect his second career Granite State Pro Stock Series win.
The Dover, N.H., driver started the 100-lap event in the sixth spot and take the lead from Joe Squeglia shortly before the midway point of the event. Helliwell would then be forced to defend his lead from Matt Frahm over multiple restarts until a final caution flag on lap 98 put Gelinas to Helliwell’s outside.
Helliwell initially would pull out to the lead, but Gelinas would dive to Helliwell’s inside as the duo entered the final corner. The two would make contact, which resulted in Gelinas spinning to the infield and Helliwell crossing under the checkered flag first.
“We went out leading (at Thompson in April) with a flat right front, and since that race, we’ve struggled with this car,” Helliwell was quoted in the Granite State Pro Stock Series press release. “The last two weeks we’ve done a lot of works. (We) took a trip down to Virginia to put the car on a pull-down machine. With this being the first time out, I’m happy with the results.”
Frahm, of New Salem, N.H., claimed the series point leader with the runner-up finish after Gelinas’ final lap spin regulated him to the 16th place finishing spot.
“We definitely had a good points night,” Frahm said. “I knew what Larry (Gelinas) was going to have to do to Wayne, which was exactly what I didn’t want to do to Wayne, which was root him off the bottom.
“It ended up working in my favor and we gained a bunch of points tonight.”
Bobby Baillargeon of Kingston, N.H., finished third while Brad Babb of Windham, Maine finished fourth. Connection driver Dillon Moltz completed the top-five finishers.
Former series champion Bobby Cabral, Squeglia, George Helliwell, Babe Branscombe, and Barry Gray finished sixth through tenth, respectively.
During the driver’s meeting, series officials announced that the series will return to Star for a third time in 2014 during the International Supermodified Association Star Classic event on Saturday, September 7.
The Granite State Pro Stock Series will race at Hudson Speedway on Sunday, August 24.
UNOFFICIAL RESULTS -- Star 100
Granite State Pro Stock Series -- Star Speedway, Epping, N.H.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Pos.-(Start)-Driver-Hometown
1. (6) Wayne Helliwell, Jr., Dover, N.H.
2. (5) Matt Frahm, New Salem, N.H.
3. (14) Bobby Baillargeon, Kingston, N.H.
4. (8) Brad Babb, Windham, Maine
5. (7) Dillon Moltz, Waterford, Conn.
6. (3) Bobby Cabral, Kingston, N.H.
7. (1) Joe Squeglia, Jr., Derry, N.H.
8. (10) George Helliwell, Derry, N.H.
9. (2) Babe Branscombe, Nottingham, N.H.
10. (12) Barry Gray, Belchertown, Mass.
11. (17) Mike Parks, Walpole, N.H.
12. (16) Tommy O’Sullivan, Wilbraham, Mass.
13. (9) Josh King, Vernon, Vt.
14. (15) Cory Robert, Canaan, N.H.
15. (18) Jesse Smith, Hermon, Maine
16. (4) Larry Gelinas, Buxton, Maine
17. (22) John Salemi, Nashua, N.H.
18. (11) Derek Griffith, Hudson, N.H.
19. (19) Todd Stone, Middlebury, Vt.
20. (20) Dennis Maxfield, Fitchburg, Mass.
21. (19) Adam Norton, Ludlow, Mass.
22. (13) J.D. Miller, Manchester, N.H.