"Thrillin' Dillon"?  

Dillon Welch doesn't consider himself to be flashy, the type of racer to carry a nickname, but after an exciting charge on the outside during Saturday night's USAC Regional Midget Series feature at Berlin Raceway, the 16 year old racer may have earned the moniker.

"I'm told (USAC track announcer) Rob Klepper was pretty excited when I was working the outside," Welch said.  "Rob is in to driver nicknames, and on the way home (team members) Dave Newman, Mike Hurst and I were joking about what kind of nickname I would have.  We had some laughs, but I'm good with just Dillon Welch. "

Welch had a blast in his first race at the Marne, Michigan track which is just under a half-mile.

"It was fun, and I think we had a good run," the USAC Miget rookie said.  "But I would've enjoyed

Sometimes you take what you get and look forward to the next race.  That was the sentiment of Dillon Welch after Wednesday night's USAC Regional Midget race at the Indianapolis Speedrome.

"It was a frustrating night," Welch said afterwards.  "But there are a lot of those in this sport.  I've learned to focus forward."

After starting eighth in the Feature race, Welch raced his way up to fourth and was challenging for the third spot when the two cars came upon lapped traffic.  Despite being shown the blue and yellow flag, the lapped car stayed in the racing groove.  Coming off turn four Welch touched wheels with the lapped car and the two spun.  The spin sent Welch to the rear of the field.  Again, he raced his way through the field, ending up with a fourth place finish.  At the

Dillon Welch scored a hard-earned runner-up finish Wednesday night on "Tom Bigelow Night" at the Indianapolis Speedrome.

After struggling with motor issues in the practice sessions and Heat race, Welch started the Feature from the seventh position.  He moved up to contend for fourth with an inside pass of defending series champion Kyle Hamilton, but the two banged wheels at the apex of the turn and Welch spun out.

"It wasn't anyone's fault," Dillon said afterwards.  "We were both racing hard for the spot.  I think Kyle and I always try to race each other clean."

The spin sent Welch to the rear of the field but he didn't stay there for long.  He drove his Z-Line Designs/ClubSport Beast up through the pack, eventually passing Dalton Armstrong for second place.

"My car was better

After winning last Wednesday night, Dillon Welch returns to the Indianapolis Speedrome (June 2) with a much greater comfort level.

"With anything you've never done before, there is that feeling of uncertainty," Welch said this week.  "Now that I've been there, raced, and won, I feel much more comfortable and confident."

Making his move to the greater horsepower car in the USAC Regional Midget Series, Welch anticipated a transition period. But after leading some laps and finishing third in the season opener at Columbus, Ohio and then winning at the Speedrome in race number two, the 16 year old driver feels much better about the move up the ladder.

"It's just two races so I'm not saying there isn't work still to be done and experience to be gained because obviously there is," Welch

There is a rich history of racing at the Indianapolis Speedrome. As a person who loves and studies the history of the sport, Dillon Welch looks forward to adding his name to the list of drivers who have raced at the famous fifth-mile track.

“I love to race anywhere," said Welch, a 16 year old USAC Midget driver.  “But I’ve really been looking forward to racing at the Speedrome where so many great drivers have raced.”

The high school sophomore made his USAC Midget debut May 15 at Columbus (OH) Speedway.  He led three laps and finished third in the main event.  “It was a solid outing and I was happy, especially with it being my first race in a full-midget. But we don’t make it a habit to celebrate third place finishes,” Welch said with a smile.

The

The USAC Regional Midget Series will open its 2010 season on Saturday May 15th at Columbus Speedway in Columbus, Ohio.

"I have some great memories from my quarter-midget days of winning races in Columbus," Dillon Welch said.  "It's a completely different car and series now, of course, but I am excited to open the season in Columbus."

The 13-race schedule will feature six races at the historic Indianapolis Speedrome.  The fifth-mile track on the southside of Indianapolis has been hosting great racing for nearly 70 years.

"So many great racers have won there," Welch said.  "Tony Stewart, Kenny Irwin Jr., John Andretti, Mel Kenyon, Rich Vogler...the list goes on and on.  How could you not be excited to race there?"

The series will also make stops at Indiana tracks in Plymouth and