(Norman Park, GA – March 30, 2026) – The 2026 season for the Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series is officially underway, and Pine Mountain Valley, Georgia’s Joseph Brown wasted no time making a statement in the championship chase. Brown delivered a commanding performance Saturday night at Needmore Speedway, leading all 50 laps enroute to a $10,000 victory in the 3rd Annual Southern Heritage Classic.
Brown’s performance was nothing short of dominant, sweeping the night from start to finish. After setting fast time in MyRacePass/Fantasy Racing Hot Laps and capturing the Bama Sheds & Pole Barns Pole Award, the No. 92 machine backed it up by pacing the field wire-to-wire in the feature event.
“What a race car,” Brown said in Victory Lane. “We got lapped here last year at this event, and I ran second to Jeremy for 40 laps here at the Early Bird last fall. We’ve just got to keep working and keep digging.”
The win marked Brown’s sixth career series victory and his first triumph in the Southern Heritage Classic, immediately positioning him as an early favorite in the 2026 title fight.
Former series champion Mark Whitener made his return to Crate Racin’ USA competition in impressive fashion, charging from the sixth starting position to finish second. Whitener worked his way through the field during a lengthy green-flag stretch from lap 3 to lap 33, eventually closing in on Brown but unable to mount a serious challenge in the closing laps.
Caleb Gay rounded out the podium with a strong third-place effort, matching his career-best finish at Needmore Speedway from 2024 after battling through an up-and-down 2025 campaign.
Behind the top three, Deisel Jones and Bubba Roling completed the top five in a competitive 25-car field that saw five caution periods slow the action.
Southern Heritage Classic – Feature Results (50 Laps):
1-92 – Joseph Brown
2-5 – Mark Whitener
3-16 – Caleb Gay
4-46 – Deisel Jones
5-515 – Bubba Roling
6-18 – Matt Dooley
7-G4 – Trent Ivey
8-18B – Austin Yarbrough
9-22 – Griffin Smith
10-22 – Jimmy Thomas
11-12C – Chase Giddens
12-24B – Austin Bloodworth
13-58 – Trent McLeod
14-85 – Corey North
15-00 – Russell Brown Jr.
16-611 – Koulten Herbert
17-5 – Wil Herrington
18-10T – Chance Sealy
19-721 – Blake Clouser
20-615 – Colton Trouille
21-21 – Joey Armistead III
22-10 – Ty Giles
23-29S – Cameron Saunders
24-198 – Jay Coen
25-22B – Jonah Bozeman
Race Notes:
Lap Leaders: Joseph Brown (1-50)
Cautions: 5
Event Awards:
MyRacePass Hot Laps: Joseph Brown (16.858)
Bama Sheds & Pole Barns Pole Award: Joseph Brown (16.010)
Scorpion Race Cars Hard Charger: Chase Giddens (+13, 24th to 11th)
Columbus Sports Cards Tough Luck Award: Colton Trouille
87 Ink 15th Place Finisher: Russell Brown Jr.
Heat Race Winners (Chevrolet Performance):
Griffin Smith, Deisel Jones, Bubba Roling, Joseph Brown
Rogers-Dabbs Chevrolet B-Main Winners:
Austin Yarbrough, Trent Ivey
With the victory, Brown leaves Needmore Speedway atop the early-season standings as drivers begin their pursuit of the 2026 championship.
CRUSA Dirt Late Model Series Points (Top 10 – After Needmore):
1-Joseph Brown – 100
2-Mark Whitener – 96 (-4)
3-Caleb Gay – 94 (-6)
4-Deisel Jones – 92 (-8)
5-Bubba Roling – 90 (-10)
6-Matt Dooley – 88 (-12)
7-Trent Ivey – 86 (-14)
8-Austin Yarbrough – 84 (-16)
9-Griffin Smith – 82 (-18)
10-Jimmy Thomas – 80 (-20)
The Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series now turns its attention to Screven Motor Speedway for the 3rd Annual Daniel Lambert Memorial on April 10-11, where another $10,000 payday awaits the nation’s top crate late model competitors.
For more information on Crate Racin’ USA, including schedules, results, and series updates, visit www.crateracinusa.com
or follow @CrateRacinUSA on social media.
Crate Racin’ USA extends sincere thanks to its valued partners for their continued support, including Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts, Chevrolet Performance, Hoosier Racing Tire, VP Racing Fuels, VP Racing Lubricants, Knowles Race Parts & Bodies, LLC, Competition Racing Equipment, Inc., Cruise with the Champions, Savage Chassis, Velocita by Melissa Markewitz, Bama Sheds & Pole Barns, MatMan Designs, LLC, Scorpion Race Cars, Columbus Sports Cards, WesPro JCB Atlanta, Next Racing Wheels, Top Knotch Customs, 87 Ink, and MyRacePass.
Photo Credit: Simple Moments Photography (Zackary Washington)