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Top Caption 1: Steve Welk had four straight top-3's in his UEMSI Miata (Photo Courtesy Msquared Photography)
Bottom Caption 2: Steve Welk was on pace for a top-5 finish in his Star Mazda Debut (Photo Courtesy Repcon Media)
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"Improvement in Miata Program and New Firsts with Star Mazda Highlight 2007"
ELKHART LAKE, Wis. - Steve Welk capped off another successful year in motorsports as the month of October drew to a close. The 2007 season was a year that saw Welk and the UEMSI Motorwerks team continue to improve in Spec Miata. Welk also made his debut in the Star Mazda Championship with John Walko Racing during the Champ Car weekend at Road America. A string of podium finishes in Spec Miata and a show of blistering pace in the Star Mazda car highlighted the year for the Plymouth, Wisconsin resident.
The 2007 racing season opened in earnest with the first SCCA Regional event in April at Blackhawk Farms. The South Beloit, Illinois track would become very familiar to Welk as the first three events of the year were held at the two-mile facility. Welk put his UEMSI Motorwerks Spec Miata on pole for the Regional event; immediately regaining the form the team had displayed at the end of 2006. A broken throttle cable relegated him to a fifth place finish in the race after leading more than half of the event.
After the Regional disappointment the UEMSI team returned to Blackhawk Farms the next week for the year's national debut. In qualifying, Welk's speed was apparent again as the karting veteran was third on the grid. In the race Welk battled for the lead until a differential failure ending his race prematurely. Two weeks later, Welk and UEMSI Motorwerks were back at Blackhawk to contest yet another SCCA National event. This time Welk started from the fourth spot but worked his way to the lead late in the race. A sick engine kept UEMSI from scoring their maiden national win as Welk settled for second after a very hard-fought race.
Welk returned to his home track, Road America, for the month of June. The June Sprints at Road America was a big event for the UEMSI team as they, along with event sponsor DHL, hosted several guests for the race. Welk and the team refused to disappoint their guests with the local driver putting the McLaren orange Miata second on the grid in qualifying. The race would be uneventful as Welk ran a solid third most of the event. The UEMSI driver was able to resist some late-race pressure to score the first June Sprints podium for UEMSI Motorwerks.
With summer reaching its mid-point, Welk was in full swing; driving as often as possible. July saw Welk compete claim two more podium finishes in the Spec Miata ranks; the first finish coming at the Autobahn in Joliet, Illinois were the UEMSI driver would battle for the win early but settle for third at the checkered. Welk's fourth straight SCCA National podium finish would be at the UEMSI team's return to Road America. The local driver would move up from his fifth starting spot to finish third in an uneventful race. Not one to sit around between his final two Miata events, Welk got his first taste of a Star Mazda car. The Formula Ford 2000 veteran tested with John Walko Racing at the Beaverun track in preparation for Welk's series debut at Road America.
Following Welk's fourth consecutive podium finish in the Spec Miata class, the young driver's confidence was high as his Star Mazda debut approached. Driving the GBR Racing-backed car, Welk made it known to the Star Mazda paddock he was there; consistently running in the top five in practice. Running in the fast group in qualifying, Welk had his GBR Racing car on the pole for most of the session after posting one flying lap before a spin. After setting the fifth-fastest time of the session, Welk would roll off the grid tenth due to a penalty for causing a red flag during the qualifying session with his spin. The race would prove to be a bittersweet affair. With his entire family in attendance, Welk would steadily move up from his tenth spot to run as high as fifth before about a quarter into the race. Welk then settled into the eighth spot until he was hit in the left rear; taking the Walko Racing prepared Mazda out of the race. The race marked the first time since 2003 that Welk had a DNF in a car race due to contact.
After a two month layoff, Welk would return to the seat of his familiar number #57 UEMSI Motorwerks Spec Miata in October for the SCCA National Championship Runoffs. The week long event proved to be tough for the team as they struggled to find the optimum setup for the Heartland Park Topeka track. With the help of the Teams engine builder Applied Racing Technologies, Welk steadily improved during the qualifying sessions. Rolling off the grid 17th, the UEMSI driver quickly moved through the field and was challenging for the top-ten when a caution was flown. On the restart Welk made an uncharacteristic mistake and put two wheels off the track and spun the car. Recovering quickly after the spin Welk was able to pick up a few spots to get back to 23rd at the checkered flag.
"This was a pretty eventful year, but I am looking forward to the off season," Welk stated after the last event. "This was one of the most solid years I've had behind the wheel of a racecar, both in terms of results as well as my performance. I had some really good runs and a few disappointments but overall I had a great time. I think the June Sprints was a great achievement because the UEMSI team worked so hard to get the car quick and our efforts paid off with a great finish. I am looking forward to next year and the new challenges that will arise."
"There were a lot of people that supported me throughout the year," Welk said. "I have to thank Rick Dresang and everyone at UEMSI Motorwerks. We had a great year and I look forward to more success with Rick's team. Rick Krieger and GBR Racing for their support, without them I would have not driven the Star Mazda race this year. John and all the crew from John Walko Racing, they are a first class team and I look forward to working them again. I also want to thank Sparco Suits, Bell Helmets, ArmsUp Motorsports, Citgo, Welk's Automotive and everyone else for their help this year."
Steve Welk is currently looking for marketing partners to compete in the 2008 Star Mazda Championship with John Walko Racing. For more information on Steve Welk and the opportunities his racing programs can offer, please visit his official web site at www.SteveWelk.com.
Steve Welk has been involved in Motorsports for 16 years. Starting his career at the age of eight, Welk has remained focused on his goal of being a professional racecar driver since. In 2006 Welk formed Linear Sport, a motorsport company that specializes driver development and race team management.
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