Unfortunately, the offseason has begun! The Kenyon cars ran for the final time of 2008 this past weekend at Anderson Speedway.    I qualified second fastest, just three-hundredths behind Jeff Wimmenauer.  I finished 3rd in my Heat race, but the car felt good so I was encouraged about our chances in the Feature.   For the Feature, due to the 6-car invert, our team was handed a 5th place starting position which is not a good spot for a track like Anderson  where it is very difficult to pass.  That's one thing that I think USAC should reconsider for next year.  Because our cars are so similar, passing is very difficult, which almost makes it punishment to qualify fast and have to start so deep in the field.   If we're going to do qualifying, there should be some reward for being fast. 

Only one race remains. 

 "I love racing but I hate this part of the season," said Dillon Welch.  "The part where I know it's ending."

 USAC's Kenyon Midget finale is slated for Sunday afternoon at Anderson Speedway.  The Feature is scheduled for 1:30pm EST.  Practice (noon), qualifying (4pm) and heat races (7pm) will be run on Saturday. 

 Welch, who is fourth in championship points, is looking to build on the momentum of a strong run at the most recent Anderson race in which he posted the fastest qualifying time and finished third in the Feature.

 "We were really strong last time out," Welch said.  "I could put the car high or low, and it felt great."

"At the beginning of the season I challenged Dillon to focus each week on learning and getting better," said team owner

I had a great weekend with a cool combination of racing.  First, it was my race Saturday night, and then I went to the Moto GP on Sunday at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. 

We ran our second-to-last race at Anderson on Saturday night, along with the USAC National midgets.    I qualified fast time, at a 12.629.  My car was pushing on the bottom of the track in practice and qualifying, so I adjusted my line and it paid off.  Mel decided to put a new right front tire on for the feature, just to help that push a little bit.  The car was absolutely incredible.  I started fourth in the feature and moved up to second after a first lap yellow.  Trying to pass for the lead on the re-start I scraped the wall on the backstretch.  Fortunately, the car was not damaged but I lost about 3 spots. 

I am suffering miserably... I want to get back racing!    The K-cars have been off for about a month.  We run at Anderson next Saturday (13th) and then we're off for another 3 weeks before we run our last race and wrap up my sophomore season in the Kenyon.   I still haven't gotten that first "on track" win yet.  I big-time want the win, but if I don't get it I know that it's still been a good season and I've learned alot.  It just hasn't all fallen in place for us on a particular night.  As they say, "That's racing." I have had a lot of fun racing this year though, and we still have two more races left plus the RUMBLE!!!!!!  

There has been enough other stuff going on to keep me busy.  I started high school a few weeks ago and continue to be shocked at the amount of homework I'm getting. 

Last week was pretty full.  On Sunday I went to Cedar Point.  I went with my friend Chris, my sisters Kelcy and Halle, and one of Kelcy's friends.  My mom and dad took us.  We all had a blast riding the roller coasters.  The Top Thrill Dragster was my favorite.  We came home on Monday and then the next day started school.  It's hard to believe summer is over.   Then on Wednesday I raced at Anderson, finishing sixth in the Feature. I ran the race with a bent right front shock after making contact with someone when the field checked up on the start.  I ran again at Anderson on Friday. I won the Heat race, and then finished fourth in the Feature. So all in all, it was a pretty exciting week.  Unfortunately we don't race again until September. It's hard to believe we only have two more races

Dillon Welch wrapped up a busy month of racing with a strong showing Friday night at Anderson Speedway.  After winning the Heat race, Welch battled to a fourth place finish in the Feature. 

"Good results considering we weren't very good in practice," Welch said afterwards. "In practice I was missing my marks and it caused the car to be wicked, but I talked with (crew chief) Mel (Kenyon) and he got me straightened out."

The 30-lap Feature race was hotly contested from the start.  A pair of early yellows disrupted the flow, but in the final 24 laps the top six ran bumper to bumper, all exploring ways to get past the driver ahead of them.

When Welch's Kenyon Midget came off the track at the conclusion of the feature, the rear tire stagger was five inches (right rear tire was 5" bigger than

If you don't like Anderson Speedway, you're not going to be having much fun in the Kenyon Midget Series.  The last five races on the Kenyon schedule are all at the "world's fastest quarter-mile". 

"Anderson is a tough track," said Dillon Welch.  "But I enjoy it, even though we haven't seemed to have much go right for us there lately."  

Friday night Welch started on the pole in the Feature, but an awkward start left him third heading into turn one.

"USAC has been on us so much about getting even starts that I was worried more about the driver next to me instead of myself, " Welch said.  "I won't make that mistake again."

Eventually Welch ended up finishing sixth, and remained fourth in the season point standings.

"Very frustrating and very disappointing," Welch summized afterwards.

Fortunately

I've got to admit I'm kinda bored with summer more often than I wish I was, but that's why I love racing during the week. I'm excited for this week's racing schedule. I race tomorrow night (Wed.) at Anderson, and the national midgets run at Raceway Park on Thursday. The trucks race at IRP (ORP) Friday, the Nationwide Series runs Saturday, and then it's the Brickyard 400 on Sunday. I'm not sure how much of it I'll make in person, but I'm definitely going to the Brickyard on Sunday.

Tomorrow, before my race at Anderson, I'm going to watch my dad in "The Race for Riley" celebrity go-kart race at New Castle Motorsports Park. It's an annual event hosted by John Andretti. Tony Stewart will be there tomorrow too.

Oh, our t-shirts have been finalized, along with the hero cards and they should be

Hi everyone! Sorry the blog updates have been so scarce... but here is the beginning of what I'm calling the "summer dish series". I'm planning to update this every day... so keep checkin' in.

I'm so glad that it's summer because this is when the racing season goes full swing. I'm pumped about running tomorrow at Mt. Lawn and Friday at Anderson. I've also really enjoyed the summer off the track. It's been great sleeping-in as much as possible, relaxing by our pool and hanging out with my friend Erik before he moves to Wisconsin in August, and helping out at our church with Vacation Bible School, which I've enjoyed. And, I'm always working out at St. Vincent Sports Performance Center, one of our main sponsors. It's definitely been a good summer so far!

We'll that's about it for

Dillon Welch has had a good season, but he is anxious for an opportunity to make it much better in the span of three days.

"We're fifth in points but I feel like we're a championship caliber team," Welch said. "We just haven't gotten on one of those streaks that I know we're capable of."

The 14 year old Welch will race his Kenyon Midget at Mt. Lawn Speedway near New Castle on Wednesday, and then circle the quarter-mile high-banked oval at Anderson Speedway on Friday night

Welch had a shot a winning at Mt. Lawn the last time the track hosted the series but while running second, he tangled with race leader Jeff Wimmenauer and had to settle for sixth.

"I really like Mt. Lawn and believe we're as good there as anyone," Welch said.

Welch also likes his chances in Friday night's show at