Rick Crawford (left) and Thomas Praytor (right) before the ARCA International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega Superspeedway. Photo courtesy MIS
Mobile International Speedway in Irvington, AL returns to action Saturday night with the speedway’s annual Memorial Day Salute To Our Troops. Teams and drivers with hometowns dotted across the country will assemble at MIS on Memorial Day weekend but for the “Moose”, Thomas Praytor there is no place like home.
Praytor missed round two of the Miller Lite Super Late Model Series while crisscrossing the state of Alabama making appearances for the Realtors, his sponsor for the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega Superspeedway.
“It was tough not being at Mobile, we don’t like missing races,” said Praytor.
That would be an understatement. Praytor and his Max Force Race team were the only race team to make every Pro and Super Late Model race in 2011 at Mobile and Pensacola’s 5 Flags Speedway. But like other drivers before him, Rick Crawford, Cale Gale, Grant Enfinger, and Johanna Long, when opportunity knocks, you go.
“We had an opportunity to test at Talladega with Andy Belmont Racing knowing we had to have a sponsor to race,” said Praytor. “It really didn’t look like it was going to happen and we had our Late Model ready to go for Mobile. The Realtor family stepped up and we were off on a world wind tour of the state.”
In the five days prior to the ARCA race at Talladega, Praytor made appearances in Mobile, Montgomery, Enterprise, Robertsdale, Birmingham, and Maryvale Elementary School.
In a speech to the 5th graders at Maryvale Elementary, Praytor’s message was clear.
“I started racing when I was your age and dreamed of being able to race at Talladega. I’m living a dream and it can happen to you.”
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“It can happen, keep working, keep digging don’t stop dreaming. There were days I was working on our old Super Stock that I couldn’t see past the weekend ahead of us. People are watching and there are folks from Mobile spread across big time racing that will help you.”
Those folks are known in racing circles as the Mobile Mafia. If there is a Mobile Mob the Godfather is MIS Manager Promoter, Rick Crawford. Crawford, Mobile’s most prolific NASCAR racer, has had a hand in every driver’s career that’s come from the Coast in the last decade. Gale, Enfinger, Long and now Praytor have all benefitted from a helpful hand from Crawford. Praytor spent weekends working with Crawford’s Circle Bar Truck Team as a crewmember while not racing on the Gulf Coast.
“When you’re racing at a national level and you tell people that you’re from Mobile they perk up just a little bit,” said Praytor. “They immediately start asking you about other people from Mobile. When we announced I was going to race at Talladega I heard from all of them. I don’t know about a Mobile Mafia but being from Mobile is a special group and I’m proud to say I’m from Mobile.”
The Mobile driver completed all 250 miles, finishing 20th in his Superspeedway debut in the International Motorsports Hall of Fame 250 at Talladega Superspeedway just 2 weeks ago. From NASCAR’s biggest track to “Alabama’s Fastest Half Mile”, Praytor is ready to return to Mobile.
Praytor joins a star-studded field for the Memorial Day Salute to Our Troops on Saturday night. Defending track champion Bubba Pollard, round two winner-teenage sensation Kyle Benjamin, Mike Garvey, Texan’s Casey Smith and Chris Davidson, Mobile’s Steven Davis, Augie Grill and Josh Bragg are just some of the drivers slated to appear on Saturday at Mobile International Speedway.
The Island Motor II Bombers, Bob’s Speed Shop Sportsman and Praytor Realty Super Stock-Trucks are also on the card for Saturday night’s Memorial Day festivities.
For more info, visit mobilespeedway.net.
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