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Dulabhan’s Daring Move at Start of Second PLM Race Earns 17 Year Old First Career Win at 5 Flags

By Chuck Corder

The hugs just kept on coming in Victory Lane.

Family, friends, crew members filed up to 17-year-old Bryce Dulabhan, making sure they could get a piece of the kid on this historic night.

As far as Dulabhan was concerned, he could’ve embraced every fan in Pensacola on Friday.

He was going to soak in his first career win at Five Flags Speedway, a dominating 30-lap performance in the second half of two Pro Late Model features.

“This is awesome,� said Dulabhan, a junior across Mobile Bay at Fairhope High School. “To finally get a win at a track with this much prestige, it’s a good feeling and the best win by far.�

Dulabhan finished fourth in the 20-lap opener behind winner Justin South, who set a new PLM track record in qualifying (16.603), shattering the old time.

The leaders were inverted for the second half with Dulabhan starting seventh.

He wasted little time staying near the back of the pack, though, with a radical move toward the inside at the drop of the green flag.

The risky roll of the dice paid off, as Dulabhan shot up to fourth before the 12-car field reached Turn 2.

The teenager, who has been driving since he was 7, knew the dangerous maneuver was his only shot at collecting a checkered flag Friday night

“We had a great start,� Dulabhan said. “We had to make that move. That got us the win.

“There would’ve been no way to work our way through traffic without pulling off something like that.�

It worked to perfection. He eventually found the lead and clean air on Lap 5 and barely had to thwart off any challenges with runner-up Garrett Jones and third-place finisher Jeremy Pate racing each other hard during the final 25 laps.

For the 13-year-old Jones, it was not only his second runner-up finish Friday, but the third second for the West Palm driver in as many races at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.

Pate has now finished third in all four PLM races in Pensacola.

“I wish we wish could’ve won it,� Jones said. “Last week, we were too tight in the second race. This week, we were too loose.�

South had zero to complain about early Friday. His qualifying run obliterated the previous track record of 16.650 seconds.

That was a 3½-year-old mark set by T.J. Reaid in December conditions during Snowflake 100 qualifying.

South sat on the pole for last year’s Snowflake, ahead of late model stars Chase Elliott and Kyle Benjamin. He looked as good as those young guns Friday in going wire to wire for the first feature win.

“We had a really good qualifying run and a really good race,� South said. “That was a hard 20-lap race. I thought it was a good race for the fans.�

 

Pro Trucks

Chopper Stagner stalked Okie Mason around Pensacola’s famed half-mile asphalt oval for most of Friday.

One veteran leading another around the racetrack like a dog on a leash.

Stagner patiently hounded Mason until the No. 51 finally bobbled late in the 25-lap feature and the No. 38 set sail for its second Pro Trucks win in as many races this year.

“Oh, man, what an awesome night,� Stagner said. “My pit crew has been struggling the last few races. These guys have been working late at night, staying away from their families. They made me look good tonight.�

It was quite the rebound for Stagner, who twice set the track record in qualifying before his times were erased on further inspection.

There was plenty of drama during the time trials. Including Stagner’s disallowed times, the track record fell on four occasions.

Jay Jay Day did it first, breaking his own track record with a blistering time of 18.747 seconds.

Stagner went way low with laps of 18.684 and 18.580 seconds — perhaps, the first indication the No. 38 was not legal.

Mason followed and his 18.723-second lap was clean and earned him the pole.

The 25-lap feature saw plenty of lead changes with Taras Hodivsky initially starting P1 after the invert before yielding the spot to, at one time or the other, Chris Brownlee, Day, Stagner and Mason.

Eventually, though, it became a two-car race with Stagner chasing Mason around the oval until opportunity knocked.

 

Sportsmen

Shanna Ard ended a long winless drought with a trip to Victory Lane on Friday.

The Milton driver got his first feature win of the season, a beneficiary from a clean, but tough battle that was going on behind him between runner-up Steve Buttrick and third-place finisher Brannon Fowler.

“Man, you’ve gotta get away from those two as fast as you can,� Ard said. “The car was on a rail. It’s never run that well before.�

Buttrick and his No. 33 was again the car to beat after sitting atop the pole. Once the invert was set for the 12-car field, Buttrick found himself still on the front row, but outside of Ard.

An uncharacteristic poor start immediately cost Buttrick, as Fowler shot past him.

Ard, Fowler and Buttrick were, unquestionably, the class of the field and the three fastest cars quickly broke away and never let another rival into the fray.

Ard pulled away as Fowler desperately tried to hold off Buttrick down the stretch for second. Much to Fowler’s chagrin, however, Buttrick claimed the runner-up spot on the podium with an inside pass on Lap 23.

“It took me a while to get by Brannon, and there were not enough laps left to catch Shanna,� Buttrick said. “That was some good racing.�

As has been his custom this season, Buttrick handed his trophy to a lucky young fan in the grandstands.

 

Bombers

Tracy Soles has his hat trick.

The Tate High School senior collected his third win of the young season when he passed Michael Nelson for the lead on Lap 13 of the 20-lap feature.

“It feels good to be back up here,� said Soles, who pulled into Victory Lane with his front bumper barely hanging on. “I hit everything, so I don’t really know where that came from. The last race I goofed it up, so hopefully this makes up for it.�

It certainly helped ease any sting Soles felt last month when he struggled to get around cars and contend for the lead.

On this night, he showed patience as Nelson took the lead on the opening lap.

Nelson built a huge cushion on the 14-car field, but as Soles navigated his way to second, he began chewing up the nearly half-straightaway advantage Nelson was enjoying.

When Nelson finally couldn’t keep his No. 03 underneath him, Soles knew that was his moment to take the point.

Soles already had his left arm pumping out of the window as he crossed the finish line, basking in another celebratory night at Five Flags.

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