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Darda and Cowart Lead CRUSA Winners During East Alabama's Season Opener

(Phenix City, AL – March 16, 2026) – The legendary “Playground of Power” roared back to life Saturday night as East Alabama Motor Speedway opened its 2026 racing season with a strong turnout of competitors and fans alike. A total of 84 cars across seven divisions packed the Phenix City, Alabama dirt oval, with Crate Racin’ USA sanctioned divisions headlining the evening’s action.

Two CRUSA divisions took center stage on opening night, with Colby Darda claiming the victory in the CRUSA 604 Dirt Late Models and Charley Cowart capturing the win in the CRUSA Late Model Sportsman division.

In the 25-lap CRUSA 604 Dirt Late Model feature, Colby Darda wasted little time making a statement to begin the new season. Starting from the outside of the front row, the No. 91 machine powered to the lead at the drop of the green flag and never looked back, pacing all 25 circuits to score his first victory of the 2026 campaign.

Darda crossed the finish line ahead of Russ Ogletree and Jimmy Thomas, while Rodgerick Dykes charged forward from seventh to finish fourth and Kyle Knotts completed the top five.

Following the win, Darda credited his team and supporters for helping put him in Victory Lane. “It really helps boost confidence going into the rest of the year,” Darda said. “I want to thank the good Lord for keeping us safe tonight. I also want to thank my dad and Dusty Jones for the setup help, along with Newberry Industrial, Darda Tire, Pabellas Winery and Vineyard, Daughters Donuts, Joseph Darda Engineering, and all of my other sponsors that keep us going up and down the road.”

Tyler Thomason set fast time in qualifying with a lap of 15.191 seconds, while Darda led every lap of the main event to secure the win. Rodgerick Dykes and Colton Blakely each advanced three positions to earn Hard Charger honors.

CRUSA Dirt Late Models - Feature Results (25-laps):
1-91-Colby Darda[2]
2-88-Russ Ogletree[3]
3-22-Jimmy Thomas[4]
4-D5-Rodgerick Dykes[7]
5-81-Kyle Knotts[5]
6-14-Colton Blakely[9]
7-6-Dalton Hood[8]
8-7-Tyler Thomason[1]
9-11T-Colby Thomas[6]
10-(DNS) 11-Dylan Holmes
11-(DNS) 24-Allen McConnell

The CRUSA Late Model Sportsman division delivered one of the most competitive races of the evening with 17 entries on hand. The 20-lap feature saw multiple lead changes before Charley Cowart took control late in the race.

Early in the event, Sterling Evilsizer paced the field before Russ Ogletree briefly took command. Cowart, who started sixth, methodically worked his way through the field before taking the lead on lap 12 and holding off the competition the rest of the way to claim the victory.

Evilsizer finished second, followed by Hunter Robbins, Jaxon Dunn, and Charles Gower rounding out the top five.

CRUSA Late Model Sportsman - Feature Results (20-Laps):
1-25-Charley Cowart[6]
2-15-Sterling Evilsizer[1]
3-11R-Hunter Robbins[2]
4-14-Jaxon Dunn[4]
511-Charles Gower[8]
639-Tristan Wright[5]
7-B25-Phillip Bryan[15]
8-4-Kevin Dunn[9]
9-28-Dustin Horton[13]
10-44-Russ Ogletree[3]
11-45-Blake Johnson[7]
12-X-Johnny Martin[16]
13-55-Brandon Cole[14]
14-97-Chad Evans[10]
15-18-Logan Turner[11]
16-(DNS) 316-Jerry Luke
17-(DNS) 33-Anthony Lee

Phillip Bryan earned Hard Charger honors in the division, advancing eight positions from 15th to finish seventh in the feature.

The strong turnout and exciting racing action set the tone for what promises to be another thrilling season of racing at East Alabama Motor Speedway, which remains a Crate Racin’ USA sanctioned facility, allowing drivers to chase CRUSA National Points throughout the 2026 season.

East Alabama Motor Speedway will return to action on Friday, March 27, when the World of Outlaws Super Late Model Series rolls into the Playground of Power for a special event that will also feature support divisions including Hobby and Road Warrior classes.

For more information, visit eastalabamamotorspeedway.com or follow East Alabama Motor Speedway on Facebook.

Photo By: JCLH Photography

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