As reported Monday, June 23, 2003 In The NWI Times
http://www.thetimesonline.com/articles/2003/06/23/sports/region_sports/6579bfdb93f33cf486256d4d007d676d.txt
BY STAN KALWASINSKI
Times Correspondent
Dyer's Dave Weltmeyer notched victory honors in the 30-lap late model stock car feature race at Illiana Motor Speedway on Saturday night. The "Dyer Flyer" and his 2003 Monte Carlo picked up their third feature win of the season at the half-mile paved oval.
Coming from seventh starting spot in the 25-car starting field,
Weltmeyer, who was on top of the late model standings before the night began,
took over the lead on lap 6 and held it the rest of the way.
Chasing the leader at the end were Larry Middleton Jr. and three-time track
champion Mike White. Rounding out the top six were Brett Sontag, Rob Czerwinski
and Len Nowosel.
"The guys raced me clean tonight and it was a good race," said Weltmeyer. "We're
still not where we need to be (setup wise), but we're going to work on it."
As reported Sunday, June 22, 2003 In the Daily
Southtown
http://www.dailysouthtown.com/southtown/dssports/pro/223sd6.htm
By Tony Baranek
Staff writer
SCHERERVILLE, Ind. — The nickname always applies, but Saturday night at Illiana Speedway, Dave Weltmeyer was truly the "Dyer Flyer."
Weltmeyer was a rocket from the get-go in the 30-lap main event, quickly working his way up from seventh starting spot.
He took the lead from Jamie Artelt on lap 6 and led most of the way by a whole lot before Larry Middleton Jr. made things interesting at the finish.
"We tried some things tonight. And I'll tell you what, we're about out of trying things," a still-dissatisfied Weltmeyer said. "I don't know what we've got to do to go faster.
"But the guys raced me clean tonight and it was a good race. We're still not where we need to be, but we're going to work on it."
It was the third victory of the season for Weltmeyer, who was much happier in the aftermath than the only other leader in the race.
Artelt was holding his own fairly well until passed by Weltmeyer. Both Mike White and Middleton got by him without incident as well. But Artelt would have to retire — fortunately uninjured — from the race after a scary crash into the Turn 4 wall during a multicar wreck on lap 20.
The yellow flag was one of only two during the race. The other, on lap 18, might well have cost White second place. Running ahead of Middleton at the time, White chose the outside groove for the restart. Middleton dropped to the bottom, alongside White.
"I was going to go anywhere Mike wasn't, just so I could try to pass him without any kind of conflict," Middleton said. "It's so tough with that double-file restart."
Middleton made the pass on the restart, while White bobbled and fell two spots back. White was pretty sure there was conflict.
"Larry and I had a pretty good inside-outside race going on before the restart," White said. "But after the green, he must have went in a little deep there because he took me up to the marbles.
"I don't know. I mean, tires are cold and everything, but he (Middleton) took me way out of the ballpark and I had just had to fight to get back were I was."
Middleton stayed with Weltmeyer for about five of the final 10 laps, but eventually settled for a comfortable second. White and Brett Sontag jousted for third place on a couple of occasions before White prevailed. Fifth went to Rob Czerwinski, sixth to Len Nowosel.