---

Homecoming King? Military Man Culbertson Hopes to Leave Five Flags with a Vintage Victory

By Chuck Corder

While he’s back home for a few days, there are certain cravings U.S. Air Force captain Matt Culbertson wants to satiate.

Seafood at Harry T’s in Destin is a must. So, too, is packing in large platters of wings at Buffalo’s Reef in Culbertson’s native Fort Walton Beach.

Perhaps highest on that bucket list, though, is scarfing down a feature win Friday night at Five Flags Speedway.

Culbertson, 32, will be part of the Southern Vintage Racing Association field, which will be made up of 1934 Ford and Chevy open-wheeled coupes and sedans.

Admission to the grandstands is a flat $5 for all age groups. Fans will get plenty of bang for their bucks, as the Pro Trucks, Home Depot Modifieds, Beef “O� Brady’s Sportsmen and Butler U-Pull-It Bombers join the cars from yesteryear.

“They’re like big go-karts, if you will,� Culbertson said. “It might take a couple of laps to knock the rust off, but they’re a blast to drive.�

If there was an award handed out for longest distance traveled, Culbertson would certainly walk away with that.

Currently stationed at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Ariz., Culbertson is eager to wheel his 1934 Ford Victoria at the famed half-mile asphalt oval.

“I’ve been waiting to run there for a while,� he said. “It’s an awesome track and it’ll be a real honor to get in front of a crowd like that.�

A packed house of curious and savvy fans, young and old, is expected Friday to bear witness to history. It’s always a nostalgic moment when the Southern Vintage Racing Association cars put on a show, be it at Five Flags or any of the other tracks they compete at across the southeast.

The seasoned fan harkens back to a time when these open-wheeled vehicles laid the foundation for the sport of stock-car racing. The younger fan may first appreciate the novelty of the class before quickly being entertained by the door-to-door action.

“They’re awesome,� Culbertson said. “They’re fast and inexpensive to run and very safe. They’re one of maybe two or three classes, where you can run side-by-side, bumper-to-bumper the entire race.�

Culbertson seems just tickled to race, period.

He hasn’t fired up his No. 77 Victoria — naturally painted in red, white and blue for the military man — since last September when he returned from deployment.

All Culbertson did that night at Five Flags was start dead last and finish fourth. That came after the car had laid dormant for nearly 10 years.

“The last time I drove the car, it was at the Snowball Derby on Dec. 10, 2004,� Culbertson recalled. “I remember it because it was the day before I was commissioned in the Air Force.�

As one might expect, his return this past September didn’t begin so triumphantly.

“We practiced a few days before and the motor blew up because it had been sitting under a tarp in my dad’s shop for so long,� Culbertson said. “We worked around the clock, completely rebuilt the motor and pulled onto the track basically as the race was starting.

“We didn’t even know if the thing was going to run. When the green flag dropped, I knew the car was there. We came to the front pretty fast, but just ran outta time.�

It was a startling finish. Certainly for all the blood, sweat and tears Culbertson and his father, Rick Culbertson, poured into getting the Victoria ready in a short amount of time. But it was also surprising because Matt Culbertson hadn’t been in the seat for almost a decade, as well.

“These cars, they’re like riding a bicycle,� he said. “As soon as the green flag drops, they drive themselves.�

Culbertson will spend a few extra days in Fort Walton before heading back to Davis-Monthan AFB next Wednesday.

He’s looking forward to being immersed around his immediate and extended families, while also getting a chance to catch up with friends that are currently stationed in Fort Walton Beach.

If Culbertson can pull off a win Friday night at Pensacola’s high banks, the perfect homecoming would be complete.

Back to News