Catch him if you can, because he is the Dulabhan man!
By Kathleen Cordova

     If you had a chance to get to Sunny South Raceway lately, then the name Bryce Dulabhan will ring a bell.  This kid is on fire and at 13 years old, you will be amazed at his maturity and ability to bring home the checkered flag.  When you see Bryce get behind the wheel, you can’t help but compare him to some of the best drivers who have ever raced at Sunny South. 
     When I first met Bryce, the engine in his Legend car had just blown and as the current points leader, I knew this was not going to be the best time for an interview.  I have been in this situation before and was wondering when the power tools would come flying out of the car hauler after cautiously and ready to dodge flying items at a moment's notice. 

     I approached the back of the trailer and Bryce was putting tools in the correct place and actually picking at his sister Chelsy. That is when I knew this kid was different.  When introduced to Bryce by his mom, Susan Dulabhan, he was a little nervous about some strange lady asking him a hundred and one questions and putting a camera in his face every five seconds, but Bryce was a trooper and made the best out of what was clearly a bad night at the track.  

     What will really catch your eye race fans about this kid is he is just that - a normal 13 year old who loves racing and his family - and did I forget the part about the family loving him?  I have never seen so many grandparents, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins and neighbors in one place and they are all passionate #28 fans. So much that jumping on the front stretch fence is not out of the list of options to show their appreciation for a win. 

     This Racing Family/Gang is quite capable of making more noise than the race cars on the track.  Oh, and the last thing, they come prepared to eat, cheer, eat some more and just have a good old family night at the track.  Not one person who has met Bryce has one negative thing to say about him even his rival. 

     At age 21, Skylar, who is in second place in points, says "Bryce drives clean and you can't say anything bad about someone who drives clean.”

     Bryce told me a story about when racing carts, he actually used the kid's helmet who was in the lead to see what side the kart behind him was going to try and pass on.  I am sure if you are a kart racer, you are going to be getting a non-reflective helmet right about now, yes the secret is out.

     What 13-year old kid thinks of stuff like this?  The kind of kid that can take the motor apart and put it back together with little or no help and likes to do his own set up for a race. “Of course, my dad always helps," he adds. 

     Bryce made a comment about doing changes on the car. "Nobody knows how to adjust a car better than the person who is driving it," he said.

     I just listened to this young man talk about what tracks he has raced at and what tracks are on the Dulabhan radar for the future. In Bryce’s world, it’s about every bolt and nut on the car that intrigues this young man and make him a constant seeker of knowledge when it comes to just how the engine works. 

     Bryce’s parents had one rule when their son wanted to race  – They feel If that to be a racecar driver, then you are going to have to learn how to repair what you tear up, period, no exceptions, and in the Dulabhan household the rule has never been broken.  

     While at a race in Pensacola, Bryce met Jeremy Colangelo, who drives for Mark Martin. "Are you sure he was only 13?  He definitely did not act like a 13 year old," Colangelo said. 

     This young man constantly amazes the racing community with his talent behind the wheel and the way he carries himself as a true sportsman off the track.  In the race world, we all know that it is all about seat time.  The more time behind the wheel, the better you are at your craft.  With that being said, I want to reach out to a few of our car owners out there. 

     Bryce would like to get behind the wheel of one of the power horses at Mobile International Speedway for a practice run or just to do a shake down.  Remember, racing is about dreams and having that one special person who believed in you just as much as you believed in yourself say the most sought after words for an upcoming driver,  “OK, take my Lady out for a spin but bring her back in one piece."

      One more thing – Bryce's grandmother makes the best homemade crackers and I have to get the recipe out to the racing community... Any car owner who lets young Bryce take a spin around the track will receive a free complementary bag full!  Racing Granny's Checkered Flag Crackers or AKA….Can't beat them… feed 'em crackers.

1 -  LARGE SEALABLE CONTAINER-Make sure it has not had racing parts in it.

5-  SLEEVES SALTINE CRACKERS-

1 ½  CUPS CANOLA OIL – Not Motor oil -

2-   PACKS DRY RANCH DRESSING

2-  TABLESPOONS RED PEPPER FLAKES

½ - TEASPOON CAYENNE PEPPER

½ - TEASPOON GARLIC 

ANY OTHER SPICES OF YOUR CHOICE

MIX TOGETHER SPICES AND OIL

POUR OVER CRACKERS

ROLL CRACKERS TO COAT WELL

ROLL FOR 2 HOURS EVERY 15 MINUTES

ROLL AND SIT ON OPPOSITE ENDS.

Downtown Mobile Gets Sound Checked

By Kathleen Cordova

     That old saying "it’s raining cats and dogs," may not have you running to the window to see if it’s raining cats and dogs, but if someone said, "Hey look it's racecars driving down Main Street," you would be forced to look out the window because the roar from the engines is mind-blowing, ear- popping loud when it is between two high-rise office buildings.

     The Mobile Exploreum hosted the Nascar Experience on the IMAX big screen and the cars and drivers from Mobile International Speedway were on display and paraded through downtown Mobile, Alabama for a very excited group of fans. 

     Tommy Preslar of Preslar Brothers Motorsports said, "I just love bringing racing to the fans.  You know it's not easy to get the car ready to display, but after all the hard work, it has paid off just to see the smiles on the faces of the kids, and on the adults who are kids at heart."

     Ryan Paul, driver of the #42 Preslar Brothers SLM, enjoyed revving the engine as onlookers gawked.  "This was something that you don’t do often during race season, with all the pressure and race dates coming up, it was a nice break to be able to get out and have some great fun driving for the kids."  FlatTop Preslar, who drove a truck full of screaming kids said, "If one kid comes to the track out of all of this, it would be one kid who had something constructive to do on a Saturday night."

Please Email Kaffey1969@yahoo.com or call Kathleen at 251-214-4544 with any comments or suggestions for upcoming stories!  And remember we need subscriptions and advertisements.

Andy Lee, owner of Mattress World in Mobile, poses in his Corvette at Talladega Super Speedway

Andy and Alex “Did the Dega”

By Andy Lee

Mattress World owner

     I first heard about Vettes 4Vets from a customer that came in to Mattress World.  He is a member of a local corvette club and after noticing my car, he introduced himself. During the conversation, he told me about the fundraiser that supports “Alabama Gold Star Families,” which is for families that have lost a loved one in war.

    The drive to Talladega was fun.  My son, Alex, and I left Friday, July 3, 2009 and I knew a short cut (Verbena exit) on the other side of Montgomery that bypassed Prattville.   The landscape gets hilly known as the beginning of foothills to the Appalachian Mountains.

     Needless to say, with all the big hills and switchbacks, it made a fun afternoon of driving!  I remember one hill that was so steep that when we topped the hill we were weightless for a split second.  We looked at each other and laughed while the rest of the drive was like a huge roller coaster ride!
     The next day, we were at the track by 8 a.m. I had bought two 5 Lap sections.  About 250 cars showed up.  The format was that 15 cars would be allowed on the track at a time.  The Rules were, #1 - You had to stay behind the Pace car. #2 - You could not pass the car in front of you.  
     O.K. It's OUR TURN!  My son was in the passenger seat as we pulled on to Pit Road….I don't know about him, but my heart was racing...Adrenaline Rush!  WOO! HOO!
     As we pulled off Pit Road, going through the gears (6 speed) in to turn 1; I could only reach 70 MPH with the car in front of me, and the 33 degree banking.   Gravity was pulling so hard, it felt as if we were gonna FALL OVER!  I was “white knuckling” the steering wheel!  OMG, what have I got us into?  The only solution was MORE SPEED!        

     90 mph in turn three and four felt even better! We did not have the scary sensation of falling off the track! Lagging back was the key, letting the cars ahead of us put distance between us, speeding down the straight away back into turn 1 again at 115 mph was super cool!!!

     It felt natural.  The turns at Talladega are not the shape of a wedge like I thought, but more the shape of a half tube.  Very little steering is required it seemed.  As you fly into a turn, your car just went about half way up the track as if you weren't turning, but going straight around a “BIG BOWL.”  As soon as I got used to how to “Drive this Beast” of a track; the five laps were up.  WHAT a RUSH! 
     The second section, I gave the Fob (key to the car) to my 17-year old son, Alex Lee, and let him “Do the Dega.”  I chose not to ride with him, because, #1 - he is a very responsible young man.  # 2 - I'm not a good passenger and I did not want to ruin his experience yelling out of fear, "Speed Up…Slow Down....do this, do that!  

     When he came back in, the car was in one piece and the “smirk on his face” with his “chest poking out” was worth the worrying!  Later, driving home was unreal to comprehend what we had just done that was so extreme.

     As we compared notes, his top speed of 135 mph beat mine of 125 mph; but that's o.k., he does everything a little better than his old man!
     Two Tickets to drive Talladega Super Speedway - $50.00. Dinner for Two with a tip - $60.00. Hotel - $80.00. Driving into turn one and three without slowing down.........Priceless!

Donnie Hamrac