CJM Racing car chief Helwig dies from leukemia
BROOKLYN, Mich. – Steve “Big Guy” Helwig, car chief for the CJM Racing Nationwide Series car driven by Jason Keller, died this morning at home, a team spokesman confirmed.
Helwig, 53, was diagnosed with leukemia in June. Helwig had been involved in racing for more than 30 years, including many years with ppc Racing.
Keller will take a solo lap prior to the second practice session today in Helwig's honor.
"He was a full-blown racer at heart," said Scott Riggs, who drove for ppc Racing in 2002 and 2003. "All he did was focus on racing. He knew a lot about the race cars. He had been around forever and knew how the teams should work together.
"He always would shoot you straight. He never pretended to be somebody he wasn't. He had been working in racing for so long, he knew everything about the car – top to bottom, front to back."
