7/21/2025
Crate Racin' USA
Crate Racin’ USA Weekly Divisions Light Up Talladega Short Track on July 19th
(Eastaboga, AL – July 21, 2025) – Talladega Short Track came alive on Saturday, July 19th, with a thrilling night of weekly racing action featuring the Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Models, 602 Late Model Sportsman, and Modified divisions. Drivers from across the Southeast delivered exciting battles, dramatic charges through the field, and hard-fought victories in front of an enthusiastic Alabama crowd.
The CRUSA Dirt Late Model feature saw 22 entries take the green, with Deisel Jones charging from the eighth starting spot to score the victory in the 25-lap main event. Tanner Collins rolled off fifth and brought home a strong second-place finish, while Jake Knowles rounded out the podium after starting 10th.
Heath Carr and Adam Gauldin rounded out the top five, but the drive of the night belonged to Jason Lively, who earned Hard Charger honors, advancing an incredible 20 positions from 20th to 6th.
Heat winners included Steve Kirk, Mario Gresham, and David Kay, but despite strong preliminary efforts, none of them cracked the top five in the feature after a highly competitive A-Main.
A Feature 1 (25-laps): 1. 46-Deisel Jones[8]; 2. 24-Tanner Collins[5]; 3. 66-Jake Knowles[10]; 4. 3-Heath Carr[9]; 5. 17-Adam Gauldin[13]; 6. 21-Jason Lively[20]; 7. 57-Raeann Gibbs[7]; 8. 11RED-Tyler Howard[16]; 9. 10-Jason Morris[12]; 10. 242-Steve Kirk[1]; 11. 44-Rod Carroll[17]; 12. 21J-John Ellison[22]; 13. 26-Ryan Steig[14]; 14. 18B-Todd Brewster[15]; 15. 40-Andy Gulledge[21]; 16. 27-Brad Berry[4]; 17. 08-Simon Haynes[11]; 18. 11-Nikalas Godfrey[6]; 19. 10RED-Mario Gresham[2]; 20. F 97-Lee Burdett[19]; 21. K5-David Kay[3]; 22. 13-Roger Castle[18]
In a more compact field of eight entries, Derek Stewart was the class of the 602 Sportsman division, sweeping both his heat and the 15-lap feature from the pole position. David Kay, doing double duty on the night, settled for second, while Brennen Shirley grabbed a podium finish and the Hard Charger nod by gaining two positions from his starting spot.
DNS entries from Braxtin Barber and Wayne Tidwell trimmed the field for the A-Main, but the on-track action remained tight and competitive among those who started.
A Feature 1 (15-Laps): - 1. 47-Derek Stewart[1]; 2. K5-David Kay[3]; 3. 111-Brennen Shirley[5]; 4. T9-Brodie Thompson[2]; 5. 35-Sherman Everett[4]; 6. 7-Blake McVey[7]; 7. (DNS) B1-Braxtin Barber; 8. (DNS) Z6-Wayne Tidwell
The CRUSA Modifieds saw one of the deepest fields of the night with 21 entries. Erik Hogsed powered his way to victory from the outside of the front row in a stacked 20-lap feature. Jarrad Gray and Luke Riddle completed the podium, each improving from their top-five starting positions.
Chris Fennell, who led Heat 1, started on the pole but had to settle for fourth in the final rundown. Logan McVey earned Hard Charger honors with a +5 gain, climbing from 14th to 9th.
The division featured three stacked heats, with wins going to Fennell, Hogsed, and Gray. A handful of DNS entries, including Dayten Montgomery, Billy Bryant, and Eddie Brannon, slightly trimmed the field for the feature.
A Feature 1:-1. 16-Erik Hogsed[2]; 2. 44-Jarrad Gray[3]; 3. 28-Luke Riddle[4]; 4. C87-Chris Fennell[1]; 5. 07-Steve Pate[7]; 6. 59-Bret Gardner[9]; 7. T7-Parker Thompson[6]; 8. 01X-Cory Hillman[8]; 9. 17-Logan McVey[14]; 10. 774-Lance Postell[11]; 11. 4-Cameron Newton[12]; 12. 4R-Chase Ragan[13]; 13. 2-Lonnie Newton[10]; 14. 10-Jordyn Morris[16]; 15. C7-Kaden Cantrell[18]; 16. 4B-Matt Bailey[5]; 17. 55-Bradley Willingham[15]; 18. (DNS) 88R/S-Tyler Salls; 19. (DNS) 88-Dayten Montgomery; 20. (DNS) 21-Billy Bryant; 21. (DNS) 99-Eddie Brannon
Talladega will return to action on Saturday night, July 26th with the Alfred Gurley Memorial Twin 25's for the Southern Thunder Super Late Models, plus CRUSA 602 LM Sportsman, CRUSA Dirt Late Models, CRUSA Modified Sportsman, Factory Stock, and Hot Shots.
About Crate Racin' USA
Since its inception, Crate Racin' USA has provided a platform for grassroots drivers to showcase their talents, competing for both regional and national championships. The organization continues to thrive in the Southeast, growing its presence and providing unparalleled opportunities for racers of all levels.
For more information on Crate Racin' USA, including schedules, results, and more, please visit www.crateracinusa.com or email crateracinusa@gmail.com
A special thanks to our partners: Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts, Chevrolet Performance, Hoosier Racing Tires, VP Racing Fuels, VP Racing Lubricants, Knowles Race Parts and Bodies, Competition Racing Equipment, Cruise with the Champions, Savage Chassis, Velocita by Melissa Markewitz, Bama Sheds & Pole Barns, MatMan Designs, JCB WesPro, Scorpion Race Cars, Columbus Sports Cards, and MyRacePass for their continued support of the series.
For more information, visit our official website or follow us on social media.
Photo by - Simple Moments Photography
Article Credit: Cody Earley
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