At the start of the season, Dennis Helfer will face the elite right away

For months there was a break and a standstill, but now Dennis Helfer can start again: The speedway driver from Weilheim has various race dates in prospect.

At the start of the long-track DM, he is in full swing.

Weilheim - For months there was a break and a standstill, but suddenly everything had to go very quickly. After a call from Vechta, Dennis Helfer was under a lot of pressure. A driver's license had to be applied for, an appointment for a medical health check had to be organized - and that in no time at all. But the Weilheimer (31) is also happy about the stress that was brought on him there. Because it is clear that helpers can do what is part of their life again: drive speedway races.

The organizers of the German championship on the long track in Vechta (south of Oldenburg) had asked Weilheimer whether he would like to take part in the championship fights for the top drivers.

Helfer agreed, of course.

As one of only three B license drivers in the field, he now competes against the A license cracks who start in international races.

The favorites include drivers like Martin Smolinski, reigning runner-up world champion on the long course, as well as Michael Härtel, German long course champion 2019, and Jörg Tebbe, German champion of the years 2015 and 2018. The DM will take place next Saturday, September 11th as part of a floodlight race.

Start of the season at Langbahn-DM in Vechta

Dennis Helfer is happy that there are still a few more races: “At least something will work again.” For a long time this year it looked bad. The uncertainties in the matter of "Corona" made many organizers hesitate or forced them to cancel. Races without spectators are theoretically possible, but simply not financially feasible. At least a certain quota is now allowed. "Of course it's better with fans," emphasizes Helfer.

After Vechta, competitions are still on the program in Marienbad in the Czech Republic (September 18), in Haunstetten (September 25/26) and in Neuenhasslau (October 2/3). It is nothing special for him that things happen in quick succession. “It's just like in a real season,” says the man from Weilheim. What is completely unusual, however, is the fact that he starts at a DM right away. “I've really never had that before,” says Helfer, who has been on a motorcycle since childhood and has been involved in rail sports.

Since 2014, the industrial mechanic has mainly been involved in long-track races.

In contrast to the classic speedway, they can be played on both grass and sand ovals.

And while four drivers always compete in one run at the speedway, up to six pilots are on the road at the same time in long-track competitions.

While a speedway motorcycle has only one gear, a long-track motorcycle has two gears.

By the way, neither of the two types of vehicle have brakes.

Dennis Helfer completed four days of training on the motorcycle

Due to the long unclear situation, there was no opportunity for training on the motorcycle for a long time. In the end, it turned out to be four days. It all started in Haunstetten. The first day “was just to come in and have fun,” reports Helfer. On the second day, the sporting aspect was in the foreground again: watch your pace, find the right lines. Although Helfer had done his fitness and strength training during the corona break, the training meant a special effort. "Then you felt parts of your body that you hadn't felt for a long time," he says with a smile.

The training day on the 1000-meter sand track in Pfarrkirchen then represented the “first real material test”, according to the Weilheimer. It went well - and in the end the “Helfer Racing” team was really lucky. In the afternoon the timing chain in the engine broke, but in a way that did not damage any other parts. So the training in Mühldorf could also go on. “That went perfectly,” says Helfer. With that he goes confidently into the long-course DM, even though he knows that he is just an outsider. The Weilheimer has achieved good and less good results on the track in Vechta in recent years.