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Photo Caption: Steve Welk and his UMW Motorwerks team continued to make gains in Portland. (Photo Courtesy Jacques-O-Lot Photography)
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“Steve Welk Scores Top Ten Finish for UMW Motorwerks in Portland”
PORTLAND, Ore. – The third round of the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Series was held last weekend at the Portland International Raceway. Back behind the wheel of the McLaren-orange UMW Motorwerks Mazda MX-5, Steve Welk had his most competitive weekend to date in the MX-5 Cup. Starting from a season-high eighth position, Welk ran a hard race to come home ninth in the final tally at the Mazda Grand Prix of Portland.
The event started with two days of testing at the flowing 1.9-mile Portland International Raceway. Out of the box, the UMW car showed improved performance over the previous two races in the series. Running solidly in the top-ten, Welk was fifth-quickest in the final practice session.
On the strength of the final practice, Welk and his UMW Motorwerks team were anticipating a solid qualifying effort. The number 57 car topped the charts early in the session but slipped down the order as lack of a drafting partner again played a role in qualifying. As the checkered fell to end the session, Welk was fast enough for eighth on the grid for Sunday’s race in an extremely-tight field. Six tenths-of-a-second was the gap from the pole to Welk and one tenth from eighth to fifth.
With a close race expected after qualifying, a good start would be critical to staying with the field for the race. Unfortunately, Welk got off the line slow as an accordion effect at the start caught the Wisconsin native between gears as the field accelerated. Charging hard to make up for lost ground, Welk had a slight bit of contact on the right-front corner which knocked the alignment off in his MX-5. While hanging on, Welk engaged in a race-long battle for ninth with two other cars. Running ninth as the white flag flew, Welk lost one spot avoiding a car that had gone off the road to finish tenth as the checkered was waved. After the race Welk was promoted one spot in tech as another car was found to be non-compliant with series rules.
“This was a very good weekend for our UMW team as a whole,” Welk said on the trip home from Portland. “We had the best car we have had all year and were able to show that we had the speed to run with the front runners. Unfortunately in the race I had a few early mistakes which cost us a shot at our first top five, so that was disappointing to us. But we know we have a good car and we are looking forward to our home race at Road America next week.”
Steve Welk now sits tenth in points as the series heads to Road America August 10 for round four of the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup during the American LeMans Series Generac Power weekend. The UMW Motorwerks tested well at their home circuit earlier in the year when they scored a win in the SCCA June Sprints in mid-June.
Established in 2008, UMW Motorwerks is the combination of two racing families; the Dresang family's UEMSI Motorwerks and the Welk family's Welk Motorsports. UMW Motorwerks will compete in the extremely competitive SCCA Pro Racing Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship. Driver Steve Welk will campaign the team's vividly-painted McLaren-orange #57 car as the championship crosses North America.
UMW Motorwerks aims to establish itself as a successful pro-racing organization as it strives to win races and fans alike on the Playboy Mazda MX-5 Cup Championship series tour. www.uemsimotorwerks.com
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