Saturday night, Weltmeyer's move in the 30-lap feature was the right one for the seventh time this season. A repeat performance next Saturday will clinch his first-ever Illiana Speedway title.

"Mike picked it up, we picked it up," Weltmeyer said. "That just shows what a crew I've got. We haven't laid down all year, and went for the wins every time we went out.

"We're getting the wins and the good finishes when we don't win. We're working hard. Business as usual."

Weltmeyer took the lead from Rob Czerwinski on lap 12, and went on to defeat White by four car-lengths.

"All I can do is pace with him," said White, who outqualified Weltmeyer. "We're pretty even. I guess it's whoever gets the jump. Hey, it was a great race for him, and congratulations. We'll try to get him next week."

Mike Pockrus was the early leader, but Czerwinski passed him with a move in Turn 1 on lap four. Len Nowosel was the next lead challenger, but couldn't pass. Weltmeyer had his problems as well, getting by the No. 6.

"The first time I got under him I thought he was going to roll off the corner, but he stayed down," Weltmeyer said. "I ran into him a little bit there, which is not my style.

"I was going to go to the outside of him, then he went to the inside, and we just were mixed up there. I had to do my job and got mixed up with Rob there, but once we got side-by-side we raced clean. It came out OK."

After the pass, Weltmeyer was able to open up a good lead while White spent several frustrating laps of his own trying to pass Czerwinski. Early in the race, he had suffered some front-end damage after contact back in the pack.

"I got the right front bent up a little bit, but the car still felt pretty good," White said. "When I got to the (No.) 6 car (Czerwinski) I had all I could do to get underneath him. Luckily, we got a yellow and I could go to the outside for the restart, where I could run better."

White passed Czerwinski shortly after a lap 18 restart and had a shot at Weltmeyer, but eventually faded a few car-lengths back. Nowosel ran a sure, steady third, while Czerinwski, Joe O'Connor and Doug Kowal completed the top six.

Former Illiana Speedway track champion Bobby Dotter made his first driving appearance in several years.

Dotter, who currently lives in Mooresville, N.C., and operates a NASCAR Craftsman truck team, won a heat race and was running 10th in the feature when he retired with mechanical problems. Czerwinski won the other heat.