DAVID WELTMEYER
DRIVER – “CHASSIS DOCTOR” – MECHANIC
E-MAIL: dyerflyer16@comcast.net
View in pdf format (printable) weltmeyer resume
THE ANYTHING, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE RACER
Dave Weltmeyer has over 35 years racing experience, competing in many short-track series events across the country. He has raced at over 75 different tracks, both asphalt and dirt, in 16 states and Canada, with major victories in 8 different states.
During Dave's illustrious 35-year-career, he has 6 track championships and over 250 feature wins to his credit; often without a major sponsor. He was the 1987 STP-Prestone ARCA Rookie of the Year; in his 88 career ARCA starts, he has accumulated 13 victories, 8 poles, 34 top 5 and 55 top 10 finishes. He has led in 28 different races for a total of 1,459 laps. He also has 2 Nascar Remax wins. His speedway experience includes 6th place finishes at both Talladega and Atlanta.
Dave has maintained all aspects of his own equipment since entering racing competition and is an experienced CDL driver for 25 years. He has also crewed on several Winston Cup cars including, Joe Ruttman, Dick Trickle, Jim Sauter, Chuck Bown, Mike Wallace, Jimmy Spencer and Scott Lagastee. He has raced with success for Howe Enterprises and Roulo Bros Racing, and continues to tire test for Hoosier Racing Tires.
He suffered a devastating accident in 1994 at Toledo Speedway, resulting in a broken leg, concussion and body trauma. He came back with a vengeance in 1995, opening the season with back to back wins and finishing the year with 13 wins; including 1 ARCA win, 1 ARCA pole and the prestigious 34th annual Tony Bettenhausen Memorial.
With limited resources he has stayed highly competitive and is one of the most popular drivers in the Midwest. IllinoisRacing.com fans voted him the 1999 Driver of the Year and the fans of Illiana Motor Speedway, Schererville, IN have previously voted him Most Popular Driver.
He is presently a union carpenter, however, his life's goal is to make a living in the racing venue. Although his priority is his family, who fully support his racing career, he is willing to race "anything, anytime, anywhere!"
Dave continues to be a competitive threat throughout the Midwest. In 1999, he started the season the same way he ended the previous year, winning! Along with Dave’s winning driving ability, he showed his versatility when contacted by Green Light Racing of Jupiter, Texas. He was hired to crew chief for Keichi Tsuchiya, a famous Japanese driver, in the season finale Nascar Winston West Coca Cola 500 in Motegi, Japan. The car qualified 9th and ran a consistent top 5, until engine failure late in the race.
Dave looks forward to the next decade of racing with enthusiasm and dedication. He always has high expectations and is open to all racing opportunities!
CAREER SUMMARY
· 2007 This was the year of transition. Dave competed in only 3 events but accumulated 1 more win; winning the CRA sanctioned 5th annual Elmer Musgrave Memorial, 100-lap race at Illiana Motor Speedway. He worked with the TMC Race Team with Driver Michael Annett, whom successfully competed in the ASA circuit, and secured a position with the Bill Davis Nascar team. For the year 2008, Dave plans to continue competing in selected events and helping his son DJ get started in the sport, as well as, continuing to work in the racing industry.
· 2006 5 feature wins at Illiana Motor Speedway and a start toward transition. Dave announced 2006 would be his last full season of Short Track Racing. As of January 2007, Dave started working full time with the TMC Race Team; when his schedule allows he will race in selected events in the 2007 season.
· 2005 Dave again raced locally, winning 6 feature events. He competed in
the Championship Racing Association (CRA) circuit for 3 events, earning 2 top 5 finishes. As 2005 ended with a "bang", we look forward to the 2006 season.· 2004 What a difference an end of year makes! 2004 started out with a win
and ended with Dave winning 6 out of his last 7 races, between Grundy County Speedway in Morris, IL and Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, IN. There were a few unfortunate racing events and A LOT of racing excitement, as Dave earned an additional 8 Feature Wins, to include his 4th Tony Bettenhausen Memorial.· 2003 Due to a limited racing budget, Dave concentrated on local racing events. He won 9 races and had 20 top 4 finishes in 21 starts, to include the Harry Molenaar Classic with 8 wins at Illiana Motor Speedway and captured the Late Model Track Championship. He has now accumulated a total of 6 Track Championships at 3 different tracks.
· 2002 This year of work commitments limited consistent participation. With 1 ARCA start at Berlin and several local starts in the Chicagoland area, the season ended with an additional 3 wins. With only a handful of starts, Dave was still voted "2002 Most Favorite Driver" at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville IN.
· 2001 2001 was a year with a variety of racing opportunities which included ASA, Hooters Pro Cup, Nascar Remax, as well as local racing events. He managed to salvage the year after a 7-week absence, due to an early season accident, by winning the Lee Schuler Memorial race for the 6th time, the Tony Bettenhausen Memorial for the 3rd time, and also accumulating and additional 8 feature victories locally. Completing the season of “ups and downs”, he was honored by being voted as “Local Driver of the Year” by the CLTV show, Victory Lane.
· 2000 Running a limited schedule this year, he accumulated an additional 7 feature wins; including the first feature victory on the new Illiana Motor Speedway and his 5th Lee Schuler Memorial race.
· 1999 Started the season the same way the 1998 season ended…winning. Finished with 14 victories out of 28 races. Was voted "Most Popular Driver" by the Illiana Motor Speedway fans and received the 1999 Driver of the Year award by Illinois Racing.com. In November, participated in his first “out of country” experience, by traveling to Motegi, Japan to crew chief for a Japanese driver during the Nascar Winston West Coca Cola 500.
· 1998 Began the season adding the technology of Wayne Lensing Lefthander Chassis, with a win during Speedweeks at Volusia County Speedway in Florida. Finished the season with 19 feature wins out of 40 events entered and was honored to receive the first annual Ray Nichels Sportsmanship Award.
· 1997 In limited competition, had 1 ARCA win, 1 ARCA pole and 3 top 5 finishes in 3 starts. Locally, added 4 more wins including the Pete Jenin 80th Birthday Bash (80 laps), at Raceway Park after a 12 year absence.
· 1996 Participated in selected short track competition with 11 local wins and competed in the Florida Cup Series, finishing 4th in overall points. In ARCA competition, won the GM Goodwrench 150 in Flat Rock Michigan; in ARTGO, won the 200 lap Wayne Carter Classic at Grundy County Speedway. Concluded the season winning the Lee Schuler Memorial at Grundy County Speedway and the 35th annual Tony Bettenhausen Memorial at Illiana Motor Speedway.
· 1995 Opened the season with back-to-back wins at Grundy County Speedway in Morris, IL and Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, IN. Was contracted again by the Roulo Bros Racing Team, competing in 2 races with 1 pole position and 3rd place finish at Flat Rock, MI and won the PaPa John 250 in Louisville, Kentucky.
In ARTGO competition, entered 11 races with 5 top 10 finishes. Local competition added 13 more wins, ending the season driving the Howe Enterprises 95 Monte Carlo by winning the prestigious 34th annual Tony Bettenhausen Memorial at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, IN.· 1994 Teaming up again with Roulo Bros, entered 10 events, with 2 wins, 5 top 5 finishes and 1 pole position. Along with own short track program in 1994, won 11 features including the ARTGO 100 in Lebanon, MO, completing the year with 13 feature wins in 5 states.
· 1994 Season was abruptly cut short due to a devastating accident at Toledo Motor Speedway in September.
· 1993 Contracted by the Roulo Bros Racing Team to drive in selected ARCA events during the year, which began with a 2 win weekend at Kil Kare Speedway in Xenia, OH on Friday and Columbus Motor Speedway in Columbus, OH on Sunday afternoon. Finished the year with 9 events entered, with 3 wins, 4 top 5, 5 top 10 finishes and 3 pole positions.
· 1992 Prior to selling ARCA car that year, entered 8 events with 2 wins and 5 top 5 finishes.
· 1991 Returned on a limited ARCA schedule, entered 5 events with 1 win, 2 top 5, 3 top 10 finishes and 1 pole position.
· 1990 Was unable to compete due to lack of sponsorship.
· 1989 Entered 8 ARCA events with 1 win, 3 top 5 and 5 top 10 finishes.
· 1988 Continued with ARCA, entering 16 events with 2 top 5, 11 top 10 finishes and ending the year 9th in the point standings.
· 1987 Began competing on the ARCA racing circuit, winning ARCA Rookie of the Year, completing 98% of laps run. Entered 11 events with 5 top 5, 9 top 10 and 1 ARCA Super Series Pole.
· 1986-1985 Continued in short track competition, winning a 2nd track championship at Grundy County Speedway in 1986 and adding 15 more feature wins.
· 1984 Expanded short track program to the southern states, setting 2 new track records at Golden Gate Speedway in Tampa, FL and at Hialeah Speedway in Hialeah, FL. Competed in 65 racing events adding 14 more feature wins to his record.
· 1983 Year was spent competing at local short tracks and winning his 3rd track championship at Raceway Park and was voted "Most Popular Driver" by the fans. Also competed on the ARTGO racing circuit, finishing a respectable 11th in points.
First ARCA victory came in 1983, winning the Milwaukee Sentinel 200 at the "Famed Milwaukee Mile".· 1982 It was time to move on to other local short tracks, winning the Grundy County Speedway track championship in Morris, IL and running 2nd in points at Illiana Motor Speedway in Schererville, IN and ending the year with 16 more feature wins.
· 1980 Added another track championship at Raceway Park and through 1981 accumulated an additional 18 feature wins.
· 1979 Was able to put together a local short track program, he won 21 features and the track championship at Raceway Park, Blue Island, IL.
· 1976 With no financial backing, his career was hit and miss, he had 3 speedway starts and finished 10th at Talladega.
· 1974 Entered late model division and began to venture out to the 1/2 mile tracks cross-country and the USAC circuit.
· 1971 Began racing career in the six-cylinder division at Raceway Park, Blue Island, IL.
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