Kevin Kovac's Take Five
Take Five: Welshan recovering from health scare
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In a new feature appearing regularly on DirtonDirt, senior writer Kevin Kovac will offer readers five things worth mentioning from around the Dirt Late Model landscape (index to previous Take Fives):
No. 1: While competing in Aug. 15’s Best Plumber 604 Racing Series event at his hometown Smoky Mountain Speedway in Maryville, Tenn., veteran racer and Savage Chassis owner Jason Welshan experienced a medical emergency that required a trip by ambulance to a nearby hospital. It was a frightening experience for the 46-year-old, who had become so severely dehydrated that he developed rhabdomyolysis, a serious condition where damaged muscle tissue breaks down rapidly and releases toxic contents into the bloodstream that can overwhelm the kidneys and cause dangerous chemical imbalances in the body. Welshan was hospitalized for two nights for around-the-clock treatment; he received 16 bags of intravenous fluids as doctors attempted to correct his sky-high CK level, which measures the amount of a special energy-helping enzyme in the blood. “My level was 950” upon being admitted to the hospital, Welshan said. “They told me the greatest athlete ever never gets above 500 (and) 200 is where it needs to.” Welshan said his CK level was down to 710 when he was discharged, shrunk to 564 last week and he’s headed for a checkup on Thursday to make sure it’s continuing to move toward the 200 number.
No. 2: Welshan said he once endured an attack of kidney stones, but he’s “never been in so much pain” as he experienced as a result of the “cramping from head-to-toe” that accompanied his episode of rhabdomyolysis. His doctors are keeping a close eye on his kidneys to make sure they aren’t damaged to the point where he would need dialysis treatment. “I’m supposed to stay really hydrated and not get really hot,” said Welshan, who noted that the condition is so rare that his family doctor of 15 years has never seen a patient with it and his wife, Leanne, has never treated anyone with it in her more than 25 years as a nurse.
No. 3: There’s currently no timetable for Welshan’s return to the cockpit. He asserted that he’ll compete again this season, but it may not be until December’s Gateway Dirt Nationals in St. Louis, Mo. — his favorite event — before he’s able to “go back racing.” Welshan said he’s focused on his recovery and also continuing his weight-loss journey; the burly driver tipped the scales at 225 pounds a few days ago (his weight as a high-school senior) and is looking to reach the 200-pound mark, which would mean he’s dropped an even 100 pounds. That’s a goal he wants to achieve. “One-hundred (Savage) cars built (all-time) and 100 pounds lost sounds great to me,” said Welshan, who is largely staying in his race shop “where it stays at 68 degrees” to concentrate on building cars for his customers and working on his own No. 01 Crate Late Model.
No. 4: How about the weekend that the Marlar racing family enjoyed? Mike Marlar, of course, continued his summer hot streak with a $12,000 Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series victory on Saturday at Smoky Mountain Speedway, giving him five wins and two runner-up finishes in his last eight starts. His brother Skylar, meanwhile, scored a $3,700 Best Plumbing 604 Racing Series triumph the same night at Wartburg (Tenn.) Speedway, and his other sibling, Camaron, scored a big non-racing win on Thursday morning when his wife, Mariah, delivered the couple’s first child, daughter Jaycie. In addition, Trey Delk, the teenage son of Mike Marlar’s team owner Ronnie Delk and Mike’s “little teammate,” won his first-ever Crown Vic feature on Saturday at Wartburg.
No. 5: Speaking of Mike Marlar’s Smoky Mountain victory, that was one experience-filled podium photo he was part of following the race. The 48-year-old veteran from Winfield, Tenn., was flanked by runner-up Dale McDowell, 60, of Chickamauga, Ga., and third-place Jimmy Owens, 54, of Newport, Tenn. — that’s a trio with a combined age of 162 years. Marlar and Owens are also longtime friends with close racing ties from their early days in the UMP modified division and they had a bit of fun together during the victory lane ceremonies with Owens grabbing Marlar’s winner’s check and holding it above his head for a picture with Marlar.
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