When Jerry Helm revs his engine, his fan club comes running.
The fire captain is burning up the track.
Even when his equipment fails to fully cooperate with him.
Overcoming a snapped front spindle, Central Whidbey Fire and Rescue head honcho Jerry Helm scrambled to pull his racing car back into shape Saturday, then unleashed holy heck on the track.
Is it just me or does this broken piece look like it’s complaining to the world?
“Opening night turned out to be challenging for us,” Helm said. “Got hit hard during qualifying.
“Huge shout out to Dirk Kruiswyk for running out to his shop for a spare to get me back out for the heat race and main event.”
Racing the clock, Helm and his crack pit crew proved you can slow down a Cow Town legend, but you can’t stop him.
“Huge shout out to Michael Matros, Philip Brotemarkle, and Max Waldron for the amazing pit work getting it swapped out just in time for the heat race,” Helm said.
Not that his night went 100% smoothly from there, as he promptly got hit during the main event as well.
This time, Helm had his rear tire blown clean off its rim.
Never fear, however, as the pit crew was there to save the day.
“After being towed off the track, my superstar pit crew were ready for me when the tow truck got me back to my pit stall,” Helm said.
“They had tools and my spare tire waiting for me,” he added. “They had the tire and rim swapped out before the tow truck even set me down.
“And to the screams and cheers from my racing family, I was able to get back out and finish the race.”
Daughters Finley (middle) and Scotlyn Helm, superstar racers in their own right, came out to support pops.
While it was a tough day for the #27 car and its team, just finishing was the real win.
“Given what we were dealing with, I’m amazed we were still able to finish the race,” Helm said. “Definitely a team effort.”
Backed by the smell of burnt rubber, he gave shout outs to Mike Shimek, Austin Lee Camp, and Tyler Hill for their assistance, and Scott Isenhart and Tiger Construction for their support.
You can catch Saturday’s racing action by tuning in to KSTW – Channel 11 next Sunday, April 7 at 5:00 PM, when #wqmastreetstockdads will be featured.
While Helm didn’t make the podium (this time), his cousin, Mike Shimek, did.
“We’ll be back!”
Coupeville Sports 