Dish from Dillon

Ramblings from driver #14, Dillon Welch.

Tag >> dillon welch

Jul 28
2010

DILLON BACK ON TRACK THURSDAY AT PLYMOUTH

Posted by dillon in news, dillon welch

Finally!  After a two week break Dillon Welch returns to the race car on Thursday at Plymouth Speedway in Plymouth, Indiana.

"It seems like it's been forever," Dillon said this week.  "I can't wait to get back in the car."

st. vincent sports performance 600 x 400.jpgWhile the USAC Regional Midget Series took a mid-summer break, Welch squeezed in a church-trip to New Orleans but is itching to return to the track.

"I've run several races in the Kenyon Midget at Plymouth but have never run there in the full Midget," said Welch who is second in the point standings.  "It's a nice track and I've got some family and friends coming up so I'm really looking forward to it."

Welch looks to continue the momentum from a strong debut season in the USAC Regional Midget Series that has produced two feature wins.

"My focus is on becoming

Jul 09
2010

A GOOD RUN IN SPEEDROME FINALE

Posted by dillon in dillon welch
I raced at the Speedrome on Wednesday for the final time in 2010 and left feeling happy with my result.
 
I started third in my heat race and finished second.  I didn't have anything for the leader but the car felt good so I was confident heading into the feature.
 
I drew a 4 for my starting spot in the feature.  I got down into third place at the start and the front two cars checked out.  I knew my car was better on the long run but Kyle Hamilton and Dalton Armstrong were both quick right out of the gate.  Kyle blew up while leading on lap 12 and seeing him pull into the pits gave me extra motivation to chase down Dalton.  He got into lapped traffic and I closed the gap from a straightaway to being right on his bumper in a little more than a lap.  Dalton went low to pass a car
Jul 01
2010

WINNING FEELS SO GOOD

Posted by dillon in dillon welch
Win number two feels even better than win number one!
The past couple of blogs have been a bit depressing, but thankfully this one will not be discussing anything like what you've read recently.
Due to the fact that I blew up in Berlin, a new motor was obviously required for the car.  The motor that blew up was an Ed Pink Ford, and the new motor was an Esslinger Ford.  The Esslinger turns more RPM's and is little bit faster than the Pink.  So needless to say, I was excited to get things going.  Practice went well and I felt like I learned a lot about how different the Esslinger is from the Pink.  I won the heat race from the pole and was very confident headed into the feature.
defabis-1 dillon 600 x 480.jpgIf you've ever participated in something competitively, you may have
Jun 27
2010

ONE LOUSY WEEK THAT YOU SOMETIMES HAVE IN RACING

Posted by dillon in dillon welch
This past week is what you might call a character builder.  I admit that's working hard to find a silver lining to a week I'd like to forget.

We raced at the Indianapolis Speedrome on Wednesday and at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan on Saturday.
At the Speedrome, I struggled all day with throttle hop.  To make a long story short, throttle hop effects the engine performance and results in the front of the car hopping...it's almost impossible to get control of the car.  It caused our final practice to end after just a couple laps.  It still wasn't 100% during the Heat race but I managed to win it from the pole.  I wasn't as fortunate in the Feature. Already feeling underpowered, I got spun out and then another car ran into me.  The latter hit caused enough front
Jun 13
2010

CONTINUING TO GAIN EXPERIENCE & HAVING FUN

Posted by dillon in dillon welch
I raced twice this past week; once at the Speedrome and once in Michigan.
 
It was Mel Kenyon night at the Speedrome on Wednesday and I was hoping to grab a win to honor the King of Midget racing and also my crew chief for the past two years.  It was not to be the case however.  I started eighth in the feature and had made my way up to fourth.  After running behind the third place car for almost 30 laps, I finally got around him only to be taken out by a lapped car in the next corner.  I went to the tail of the field and got back to fourth in just enough time to run behind the same car I'd been trying to get passed for 15 more laps.
 
Next up was Berlin Raceway in Marne, Michigan on Saturday.  I was excited to get to Berlin just because it was a new track and I always enjoy racing at new
Jun 02
2010

WHEW, THAT WAS A NIGHT'S WORK

Posted by dillon in dillon welch
A successful night at the racetrack is always puts a smile on my face.  There were moments of concern Wednesday night but in the end I left the Speedrome smiling.
 
The USAC Regional Midget Series was back in action at the Speedrome, this time for Tom Bigelow night.  We started off the night with a practice session on old tires.  We weren't that fast but the car felt good nonetheless.  I started 3rd in my Heat race and was confident I would be able to move up.  However, the engine in our car developed some problems and I had nothing for the front-runners.
 
With a fourth place finish in the heat race, I missed the 6 car invert by one position and therefore started seventh in the feature.  This had me a bit concerned especially since the Speedrome is very hard place to pass.  Once the feature
May 28
2010

FIRST WIN IN MIDGET FEELS GOOD

Posted by dillon in win, dillon welch
Hey team, I can't believe I'm already saying this, but we won!
Wednesday night we were racing at the Indianapolis Speedrome, a track with a long history of USAC Midget racing.  The Speedrome is a driver's track.  It's a small, flat 1/5 mile track and produces a lot of beating and banging so I was anxious to get going.
Hot laps went well.  I was fastest in the first session.  We had a little throttle issue in the second practice but got it worked out.  When practice was complete, I was confident I had a good car under me.
1st midget win 3.jpg
(PHOTO:  Dillon preparing to make the pass)
In the Heat race, I started fourth.  I came off of turn four to get the green flag and got loose and grazed the wall. Thankfully, that wasn't a sign of things to come.  I passed the third place
May 16
2010

MIDGET DEBUT WAS FUN AND PRODUCTIVE

Posted by dillon in dillon welch

Well, I officially (finally) have a USAC Midget race under my belt.  I ran in Columbus, OH on Saturday and left feeling pleased with how things turned out.

It helped that I got to test the Beast Midget for the first time the day before at Anderson Speedway.  It was my first time in the car since October, so it felt great to be back in the seat.  I ran close to 100 laps and definately learned a ton about how much different the midget is compared to my Kenyon Midget I ran last year.  Bob East and Dave Newman helped me out a lot and when we left I felt a lot more comfortable about racing on Saturday.

usac midget at columbus.jpgI have to admit, I was a little nervous about racing on Saturday.  Once we got to the track though, all those butterflies flew away and I was ready to go.  Practice was uneventful
May 07
2010

USAC REGIONAL MIDGET SCHEDULE OPENS MAY 15

Posted by dillon in news, dillon welch

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

Apr 24
2010

DREAM COME TRUE

Posted by dillon in dillon welch
Hello everyone!
If you've visited the website recently, you've seen the "big announcement" that I've been talking about since the end of last season.
I'm going to drive a midget for Bob East, which is a dream come true for me.  Bob builds BEAST chassis, and if you want to be competitive in midget racing, you want to have a BEAST.  Guys like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, and Kasey Kahne and so many other big named drivers all drove midgets for Bob.  But as cool as it is to add my name to that list, what's most important is that this is another great opportunity for me to work with someone who really knows his stuff.
I am really excited for this coming season.  Driving a midget is a whole new experience, mainly due to the power, and it will take some getting used too. 
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