Nineteen-year-old Todd Weldon calls Pittsburgh's PA Motor Speedway (PPMS) in Imperial, PA, his home track. He's been racing the fast 5/8ths-mile oval since the age of 13, and after reaching Victory Lane at the track's Ed Laboon Memorial last year, he is looking to become the first repeat winner of the sixth annual event on Saturday.

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Weldon stays mostly at his home track but traveled part-time with the Penn-Ohio Pro Stock Series last summer and is looking to do it again this summer. Weldon explains that the Ed Laboon Memorial race is important because it bring Pro Stocks to the forefront of an event instead of running them as a support series.

"It's like the Daytona 500 of our class honestly," Weldon said. "It puts our division at the top when usually we're third or fourth at the highest. ... It pays good all the way through, which is really nice because only one guy is going to get the top purse. So everyone walks away with something. It brings out the best in everybody."

Weldon's dad, Pat, raced in the inaugural Ed Laboon Memorial in 2011 and led about 15 laps before a flat tire knocked him out of the running. He went on to lead in the next race as well and passed some of that skill to his son.

Todd ran the race for the first time in its third year -- finishing 20th in the feature. In his second running, the event had a B-Main and he finished 11th in that. Weldon blew these results out of the water last year. After battling for the lead with Chris Schneider, Weldon took the checkered flag and the $3,017 payout at the age of 18.

"It was magical, honestly," he said. "My dad raced it a couple of times. The very first one he led 14 to 17 laps but got a flat tire. I think the second year he led laps too. It was really something special to finally get one for him and for the race team." 

As exciting as the win was for the driver, Weldon has never seen the replay. 

"I don't like watching, because I don't like watching myself race, but they said it was a really close race, but it was clean. Come down to the last two laps it was me and Chris. That's always exciting, nobody likes a blowout.

The track lends itself to fast and wide racing, which Weldon and other local drivers enjoy even during weekly shows. This makes it one of the fastest, if not the fastest, track in the tri-state area. The width of the track gives the drivers the chance to find their own grooves and race quickly and cleanly.

That keeps races from being runaway affairs, which are not exciting for the fans. 

"Nobody wants to see that," Weldon said. "I mean obviously, if you're a driver or a crew member you want to see your guy lead every lap and win by a straightaway. That's always fun and exciting to watch. But if you're a fan, it gets boring. There's nothing like two guys going at it, going at it and it coming down to the last lap. 

"That's usually what it comes down to with this race since the track is so fast. There are so many different grooves. Someone will be fast down low. Another guy will be real fast up high, and another guy will be fast in the middle. There's probably 10 or 12 cars that could win it any weekend."

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Where To Watch

Pittsburgh PA's Motor Speedway
170 Kelso Road
Imperial, PA, 15106

How To Watch

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