3/15/2026
Crate Racin' USA
Bright and Pippin Claim CRUSA Victories During 13th Annual Battle of the States at Whynot
(Meridian, MS – March 15, 2026) – The 13th Annual Battle of the States concluded Saturday night at Whynot Motorsports Park with a packed weekend of racing that brought competitors from across the Southeast to the red clay oval. The weekend was highlighted by the Mississippi Crate Late Racing Series headline event, where Meridian’s own Spencer Hughes captured the $2,000-to-win main event and the 2026 Battle of the States championship.
Alongside the Mississippi Crate Late Racing Series, the Crate Racin’ USA sanctioned divisions of CRUSA Late Model Sportsman and CRUSA Street Stocks also delivered competitive racing throughout the three-day event.
The CRUSA Street Stocks produced one of the most competitive fields of the weekend with 21 entries signed in for Saturday night’s program. When the dust settled, it was Trey Bright powering his No. 82 machine to victory in the 20-lap main event.
Bright started third and patiently worked his way forward after early race leader Chase Pennington controlled the opening seven laps. Bright made the decisive move on lap eight and never looked back, leading the remaining laps to claim the Battle of the States Street Stock championship belt.
Shay Knight delivered a strong run from the sixth starting spot to finish second, while Logan Bright made it a family affair with a third-place finish. Pennington settled for fourth after leading early, and Landen Jackson rounded out the top five.
One of the standout performances of the night came from Mickey Trosclair, who earned Hard Charger honors after advancing nine positions from 15th to sixth in the final rundown.
Heat race victories earlier in the evening went to Landen Jackson, Chase Pennington, and Trey Bright, setting the stage for the feature showdown.
CRUSA Street Stocks Feature Results:
1-82-Trey Bright[3]
2-3-Shay Knight[6]
3-82B-Logan Bright[5]
4-74-Chase Pennington[2]
5-18-Landen Jackson[1]
6-521-Mickey Trosclair[15]
7-51-Nic Brooks[11]
8-13V-Bubba Vandygriff[13]
9-1-TJ Herndon[14]
10-0-Bobby Gregory[9]
11-71-Dillon Ussery[4]
12-13-Malachi Magee[7]
13-223-Dustin Jessup[17]
14-B17-Bobby Ducote[19]
15-31-Carlos Williamson[18]
16-94-Caden White[16]
17-98-Dewayne Estes[10]
18-16-Chris Shelton[8]
19-G4-Shelby Sheedy[12]
20-(DNS) 86-Sam Bryson
21-(DNS) 7-Tyler Rivers
Pippin Dominates Late Model Sportsman Feature
Friday night belonged to the CRUSA 602 Late Model Sportsman division, where Andy Pippin delivered a commanding performance in the 20-lap feature.
Pippin started on the pole and never relinquished the top spot, leading all 20 laps to secure the $1,000 victory during the Battle of the States weekend. Behind him, Chace Pennington crossed the line in second, while Raeann Gibbs, who set fast time in qualifying, completed the podium in third.
Logan Bright finished fourth while Nick Thrash completed the top five in the competitive 15-car field.
Two drivers shared Hard Charger honors for the event. Joshua Mosley advanced four positions from 10th to sixth, while Kendall Bean climbed from 14th to finish 10th.
Earlier in the evening, heat race victories went to Andy Pippin and Chace Pennington, while Gibbs paced the field in qualifying.
CRUSA 602 Late Model Sportsman Feature Results:
1-87-Andy Pippin[1]
2-54-Chace Pennington[2]
3-57-Raeann Gibbs[3]
4-82-Logan Bright[5]
5-95-Nick Thrash[6]
6-1J-JOSHUA MOSLEY[10]
7-25-Brandon Lunsford[7]
8-51-Colby Ponds[4]
9-W2-Grayson Williams[12]
10-111-Kendall Bean[14]
11-76-Kirven Thomas Jr[9]
12-7M-John McDonald[15]
13-Z6-Zach Combs[13]
14-C4-Devin Whatley[8]
15-28-Danny May[11]
With the Battle of the States now in the books, teams will begin preparing for the next major event at Whynot Motorsports Park. The Mississippi facility will return to action on Saturday, April 4, with the popular Modified Mania event along with weekly racing divisions.
For full event results, schedules, and updates, follow Whynot Motorsports Park on social media and visit www.whynotmotorsportspark.com
Photos by: Foto-1 (scottfotou2@gmail.com)
Article Credit: Cody Earley
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