LAS VEGAS, NV -- It was a long, hard-fought weekend at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway Bullring for 2024 INEX Legend Car Road Course champion Neal Dulin. But Dulin, 16,  turned a challenging start into an impressive fifth-place finish in the INEX Asphalt Nationals Semi-Pro feature with a performance that showcased both perseverance and racing maturity.

The event drew 46 of the best Legend Car drivers in the country, setting the stage for a highly competitive weekend under the desert sun.

Thursday’s practice sessions tested Dulin and his 860 Motorsports team as they battled a car that was pushing up the track on corner exit. Despite the early frustration, steady adjustments paid off — by the end of the day, Dulin had climbed to sixth on the speed charts, just .026 seconds off the fastest lap in final practice.

Friday qualifying, however, brought back some of the handling issues from early practice, resulting in a tough 13th-place qualifying effort and a starting spot in the third heat race.

After a major setup change, the team took a big swing to improve the car’s balance — but the start of the heat didn’t go as planned. Contact from behind in turn one pushed Dulin up the track and into another car, dropping him from third to ninth on the opening lap. Showing grit, he charged back to sixth by the checkered flag, turning the fastest lap of the race in the process.

For Saturday’s 35-lap feature, Dulin rolled off from the 14th starting position. A solid performance in hot laps gave him confidence that the car was improving, and one last minor adjustment before the green flag added some much-needed stability.

Once the race began, Dulin fought his way through multiple cautions and restarts. By halfway, he had worked his way into the top ten, and following a red flag for oil cleanup, he continued his march forward, cracking the top five against national-level competition, including Aryton Brockhouse, Chase Burgeson, and Josh Lowe.

A late-race caution with five laps to go shuffled the running order after a flip in turn two. Restarting from the outside lane — still slick from Speedy Dry — Dulin slipped back to tenth but kept his composure. Another incident inside the top five opened the door for a final charge. On the one-lap shootout, Dulin made the outside line work, grabbing fifth at the finish in a wild and unpredictable ending.

“Coming from mid-pack to finish up front with the best Semi-Pro drivers in the country felt really rewarding,” Dulin said. “I can’t thank my mom and dad enough for bringing me all the way out to Vegas to race, my team at 860 Motorsports for their hard work on the No. 79, Dulin Mechanical and Trane for their support, and God for giving me this opportunity to do what sets my soul on fire.”