ANDERSON, S.C. -- Neal Dulin put together a weekend that showed both sides of racing in the Carolinas, breaking through for his first win of the 2026 season on Friday at Anderson Motor Speedway, then battling through adversity Saturday at Caraway Speedway while still showing front-running speed.

Friday night at Anderson, Dulin was behind the wheel of the No. 52 for Downrite Racing with a Joe Ryan Race Cars-prepared setup, and from the start, the pace was there. After a strong practice session, a pill draw of 14 placed him third in the second heat race. It didn’t take long to move forward. Dulin took the lead on lap three and never gave it back, winning the heat and putting himself in position for the feature.

A dice roll between the heat winners ultimately worked in his favor, as Dulin rolled the lowest number and secured the pole for the main event.

From there, it turned into a race that tested both patience and racecraft. Dulin and four-time track champion Mitchell Thompson battled through the first half of the race before a caution reset the field. The second half was filled with restarts, forcing Dulin to stay locked in and disciplined each time the green flag returned.

On the final restart, a green-white-checkered finish, Dulin made a small mistake entering turn one that opened the door for Thompson to get to his inside. He regrouped quickly, worked his way back to position, and set up for one final shot. On the last lap, Dulin made the move in the final corner and edged Thompson at the line for the win by half a tenth of a second, also collecting the $250 bounty for beating the track champion.

It was a defining moment and a race that showed exactly what he is capable of in Pro competition.

Saturday at Caraway Speedway brought more speed, but a much different outcome.

Back in his own car, Dulin showed immediate pace again, breaking in tires during practice before laying down a pole-winning lap in qualifying by three thousandths over teammate Joey Lobue. The lap also set a new track record at 18.629 seconds. A redraw placed him fourth for the start of the feature.

The race never found a rhythm early, with two red flags before a full lap was completed. Dulin avoided the first incident but was caught up in the second, setting the tone for a chaotic race.

He recovered quickly, taking advantage of a missed shift by the car ahead to move forward and get in line behind the leader. But another incident soon followed. A three-wide move into turn one by an inexperienced driver resulted in contact that spun Dulin and collected much of the field behind him.

Despite the frustration in the moment, Dulin kept his focus, drove the car back through the field, and salvaged a fifth-place finish.

The weekend closed with one win, another track record, and a clear reminder of how quickly things can change from one night to the next. More importantly, it reinforced that the speed is there and the results are coming.

Dulin credited Downrite Racing for the opportunity to drive their car at Anderson, Joe Ryan Race Cars for continuing to provide fast equipment, and his family and faith for their continued support.

Next up, Dulin turns his attention to Spring Nationals, set for April 13 through 18 at Veterans Motorplex and the Nashville Fairgrounds, where he will look to build on the momentum from the Carolinas swing.