 SEEKONK, Mass. — Richie Helger Jr. was back on top Friday night. Driving the Helger’s Racing No. 99, Richie jumped out front early and dominated the second half of the Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars 25-lap race. Helger picked up his first win of the new season, but it was his second career.
Helger took the checkered flag first over Rodney Dowless Jr., who drove the Nick Lascuola Racing entry to a strong best career second-place finish. He was followed by fellow NLR driver Josh Parsons, who continued to show speed early in 2024 once again, and finished in third. Mason Tessier and opening week winner Jacob “Rowdy” Burns finished the top-five. Kevin Davis finished sixth, while former Seekonk Bandolero winner Ryan Vanasse Jr. made his Seekonk debut in a Legend Car and finished seventh. Brenden LaBelle, Jaden Hamilton and Steve Bowden finished the top-10.
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 SEEKONK, Mass. — Former Seekonk Speedway Bandolero champion Richie Helger Jr. parked his Legend Car in Victory Lane for the first time on Friday night. Helger passed Isaiah Newcomb, who had won the last three races, for the lead in the final few laps then beat him back to the line to take down his first career win in the Helger’s No. 99. After a few years of trying, Helger was on top during Fast Friday’s premiere division.
Newcomb wasn’t far behind after working his way up through the field once again, finishing second. Behind them, Kevin Davis worked his way to the third spot after 25 laps, his best career Legends Cars finish at Seekonk. Cole Robie and Brendan LaBelle followed them in fourth and fifth. In sixth, it was Jacob Burns, with Mason Tessier, Chase Silvia, Nicholaus Bulkeley and Jimmy “Pepe” Silvia finishing off the top-10. The Nick’s Pit Stop Legends Cars will return to the track on Friday, August 18, for the finale of the Everett’s Auto Parts Triple Crown Series, set for 30 laps. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com and follow the track on social media for the latest news and updates.  Photo: Seekonk Speedway By Souza Media/Seekonk Speedway
SEEKONK, Mass. -- Brent Robidoux used a slick move to take the lead early in the 15- lap Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw feature on September 24, 2021 and never looked back to win at Seekonk Speedway. While Robidoux was victorious in the race, Richie Helger Jr. proved to be the big winner — nailing down his first career track championship in the Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment No. 99 machine. Helger ran inside the top-five for the duration of the race, finishing third, enough to clinch him his crown. On the heels of just two victories, Helger was consistent throughout the year and now will celebrate adding his name to the Seekonk record books as a champion in the 75-year history of the track. In the race, Robidoux finished ahead of Bowden, Helger, Jase Mongeon and Adam Harri- son. Bradley Strickland was sixth, followed by Andrew Gomes, Cheyenne Cooper, Chase Silvia and Nick Chaber Jr. Seekonk Speedway's 2022 Fast Friday season will begin at the end of May in the new year.  Photo: Seekonk Speedway By Souza Media/Seekonk Speedway
SEEKONK, Mass. -- He might have had to wait until the third week of the season, but Helger’s South Coast Power Equipment driver Richie Helger Jr. parked his Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaw in Victory Lane on Friday, June 25, 2021. Helger started near the front of the field, taking the lead on lap two, and never relinquishing the top spot en route to holding the checkered flag. Helger made it look easy out front — but while he did that — a mid-race pile up took center stage. On the ninth lap, contact between a few of the young drivers caused chaos, when at least five of them spun and crashed on the frontstretch. Some of the names involved included Brent Robidoux, Joey LeMay, and Nick Chaber Jr., and all three were not able to finish due to the damage. Chaber, who nearly won the championship in 2020, is off to a tough start this season. Meanwhile, his teammate, Jase Mongeon, has put together quite the impressive start. Mongeon crossed the line second at the finish, posting his career-best effort, while Bradley Strickland earned a podium for the first time in his career, finishing third. Aubrey Keller was fourth, and Stephen Bowden completed the top-five. Bowden crossed the line in third on the track, but was penalized two positions post-race for aggressive contact. Andrew Gomes finished sixth, followed by Adam Harrison and Olivia Dardinski. Behind them, Nick Chaber Jr., Brent Robidoux, Joey LeMay and Chase Silvia all failed to finish after the accident. The Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Outlaws return to the track on Friday, July 9, 2021 after a week off for Independence Day weekend. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit SeekonkSpeedway.com.  Photo: Seekonk Speedway Good morning.
Some of you reading this may know me, others may not. My name is Rich Helger. I am the owner of Helgers Southcoast Power Equipment in Westport, MA, and have spent my entire life at Seekonk Speedway. Whether it was growing up in the grandstands, sponsoring the track, or helping my son Richie Helger Jr. compete in the Bandolero Bandits last year, the Speedway has always been a major part of my life. Some of you may know that I have been battling with kidney disease for my entire life. If you didn’t before, you do now. And I’m reaching out looking for a bit of help from one of you, to help me move forward and take many more laps. Over the last year, my kidney disease has progressively started to take the wrong turn. Cur- rently, I am preparing to be in need of a kidney transplant, sometime soon. My only other option would be dialysis, which would be a last resort for me. I’m reaching out to the Speedway community looking for help navigating this newest incident on the race track that is my life. Some of you reading this might know, but finding a kidney transplant in a country with over 300 million people isn’t as easy as it might seem. There are hundreds of thousands of people already waiting for a transplant, and I am just one of them. I won’t have the luxury of waiting for someone who is a deceased donor, and instead, I’m looking to receive a kidney from a living donor that is so generous to help. Asking anyone to help me during any point in my life has always been difficult, even with small tasks. I’m not one to seek assistance from someone outside my inner circle. But I know a lot of you at the track might be potential donors, or might know someone who is willing to help my family and I move forward. Like competitors in the pit area helping each other, I’m hoping someone out there is willing to help keep my car turning left for years to come. Thank you for reading this far. If you’re interested in helping, there are a few simple steps you could take. Any person who is healthy and motivated to donate can consider a donation. Kidney donors must be between the ages of 18-70. See the steps to success here:
This is a difficult time for my family and I, but I feel confident that reaching out to the Speedway community will be a positive move en route to success. All of you have been a major player in my life — whether you are a car owner, driver, crew member, staff, or fan of the track. The sport we all love has bumps in the road — and that’s what I consider this — a bump in my path to the future. But, like everyone else, I’m ready to push through it and come out the other side better than before. I look forward to joining you all at the track this season to celebrate the return to racing at Seekonk. Thank you so much for reading my letter. And a special thank you to my family and friends for all of their support during this time. If this is something you would be so grateful to consider, I would be happy to talk with you directly about my story and give you more in- formation on the process. I’m hopeful that my story will inspire others to become a donor, either as a living member of the community, or after death. As I mentioned, there are hundreds of thousands of people in the world who are in need of donations. I am just one of many. Thank you for your consideration. Enjoy the rest of your offseason. Rich Helger  Photo: Seekonk Speedway By Souza Media/Seekonk Speedway
SEEKONK, Mass. -- Another first-time winner. Richie Helger Jr. earned his first career victory in the Seekonk Grand Prix Bandolero Bandits on August 28, capturing the win by leading all 15 laps of the feature. In just his seventh start at Seekonk in the Bandolero, Helger showed he had the power to get the job done. He beat Brent Robidoux and Ethan Dion to score the win in a great battle at the front of the field. And, as usual, the Victory Lane celebrations were emotional for a first-time winner — with his dad — Rich Helger — the owner of track sponsor Helger’s Southcoast Power Equipment — and his mom and brother trackside. If you look at the Victory Lane photos, somehow, his brother actually smiled more than the feature winner himself. What a family moment. “It was amazing when I won, to get this win early on in my career and it was awesome to move around and win this race,” Richie Helger Jr. said. “It was tough. It was a little bit hard to block them both at the same time. They both did a good job. Brent has been getting better every week, and Ethan has been doing a good job. We are all getting better every week.” The victory lane moment was the icing on the cake for his whole family. “It was exciting... when I got out of the car I was going to jump on my dad, but I was afraid he wasn’t going to catch me, so I just jumped down and gave him a hug. My mom was proud, clapping, and my brother was really happy. I told my brother after tech inspection that he could drive the car back to the trailer, and he was so happy.” Helger wishes to thank Charlie Rose, Rob Murray, Scott Harkin, Harkin Construction, Cat Country 98.1, Bad Boy and Ferris, along with Helger’s Southcoast Power Equipment. “I have to thank dad and Helger’s Southcoast Power Equipment for all they do for me and the track,” he said in his interview. To hear the rest of the interview with Richie Helger Jr. following his first win, check out the latest Seekonk Speedway Race Day Rewind podcast, which can be found on YouTube, Apple Podcasts and more. Seekonk Speedway returns to Fast Friday racing, with no spectators due to Massachusetts restrictions due to COVID-19, on Friday, September 4, with the Labor Day Fast Friday Spectacular. For more information on Seekonk Speedway, visit Seekonkspeedway.com and follow the track on social media. |
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