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ore than five decades ago, Bob Helms’ racing career started in his parent’ s 1957 Oldsmobile, an eager 15-year-old taking on his friend and his’ 57 Chevy.
Much has changed for Helms in that time, but one thing remains the same – no matter the car, the style, the location or the stakes, his love of racing remains as strong as ever.
The 71-year-old Houston-area native is excelling on airfields these days, this time in a Lamborghini at 220- plus mph. Helms won the prestigious King of the Streets crown at the
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Texas Invitational this past fall at Caddo Mills Municipal Airfield near Dallas, Texas, racing with the highlysuccessful Underground Racing team.
Started in 2010, the Texas Invitational, widely known as the pinnacle of high-caliber automotive airfield competition, was created to help curtail illegal street racing. The innovative competition features sideby-side racing with a rolling 60 mph start over a distance of 1,550-feet, and includes a who’ s-who list of drivers.
Helms has become a star player in
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it, knocking off Gidi Chamdi in the final round in 2016 in his Underground Racing X Version Twin Turbo Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera LP570. It’ s a different outlet and a different form of racing, but after a series of accidents in Pro Stock and a near-fatal crash on the streets, it’ s been a revelation for the ultra-successful Helms.
Following his victory at the Texas Invitational, Helms talked with STREET / RACE Magazine about his long and storied racing career, what finally steered him off of street racing, the thrills winning the Texas
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NO MATTER THE CAR, THE STYLE, THE LOCATION OR THE STAKES, HIS LOVE OF RACING REMAINS AS STRONG AS EVER. |
52 STREETRACE |