By Ken de la Bastide

(August 19, 2013) - There’s something about the month of August that California driver Jo Jo Helberg likes about Anderson Speedway.

For the third consecutive year Helberg captured an August race with the TruFuel Must See Racing Xtreme Sprint Series in Saturday’s running of the BestWay Disposal 50.

With an invert of the eight fastest qualifiers, Chris Neuenschwander
grabbed the early lead chased by Brian Olson and Tyler Roahrig with
Helberg starting fifth in the 20-car field.

Helberg passed local favorite Aaron Pierce on the second lap and got
around Roahrig for third before 10 circuits were completed.

Neuenschwander’s night ended on lap eight as he slowed on the track and pulled out of contention, expressing his displeasure at the mechanical problem.

That gave the point to Olson with Helberg hot on his trail. Helberg used an inside move entering turn one on lap nine to take the lead.

Fast qualifier Brian Gerster gained two positions in the first ten laps
and was running sixth, before starting a climb to the front.

Gerster passed Troy DeCaire and Pierce and was running fourth at the halfway point. Pay Less Little 500 winner Jacob Wilson, running in the top 10 at the time pulled into the infield on lap 25 after making contact with Kevin Blue, which brought out the only caution of the race.

From there Helberg pulled away on the restart to win by six-tenths of a second over Roahrig and Gerster with Olson and Pierce rounding out the top five.

Following the restart Gerster and Pierce made it three wide in turn two as they worked around a lapped car, something normally not seen in sprint car action at Anderson Speedway. All three drivers escaped without incident.

“The bottom was working well,” Helberg said of his car running the low line. “For the last four laps the car started to develop a vibration, so I was a little worried.”

In the first of three heats, Ryan Gillenwater led the entire distance with a spirited battle taking place behind him for the second spot.
Neuenschwander, Gerster and Helberg all battled for the position after Tom Tolbert spun on the front straight on lap three.

Indy 500 veteran Jimmy Kite passed Kevin Blue with an outside move on the front straight to record the victory in the second heat race. He was followed to the checkers by Sondi Eden, Olson, Wilson and Roahrig.

The third heat win saw Davey Hamilton Jr. pulling into the Tim Thompson Nationwide Insurance winner’s circle. He held off Mike Larrison by less than a second with Pierce, Cody Gallogly, and Decaire rounding out the top five.

Gerster set fast time during qualifying with Wilson and Decaire rounding out the top three.