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Brown Goes Back-to-Back with Clarks Hill Classic Victory at Modoc

(Modoc, SC – April 12, 2026) – The Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series continued its 2026 campaign Saturday night with a historic return to Modoc Speedway, and once again, it was Pine Mountain Valley, Georgia’s Joseph Brown standing in Victory Lane.

In front of a packed house at the revitalized South Carolina facility, Brown stayed red-hot, capturing his second consecutive victory to open the season and pocketing the $5,000 top prize in the Clarks Hill Classic. The win marked Brown’s seventh career series triumph and further solidified his early-season dominance.

While the result may have felt familiar, the path to victory was anything but easy. Pole-sitter Luke Cooper set the pace early, leading a race-high 27 laps and appearing poised to contend for his first career series win. However, trouble struck as Cooper made contact with the wall in turns one and two, surrendering the lead and opening the door for Brown.

On the ensuing restart on lap 28, Brown wasted no time, powering to the front and never looking back. “That was a blast, man what a race track,” Brown said in Victory Lane. “Hats off to these people, this place is awesome.”

Behind him, the battle for the podium was intense. Ross Bailes maintained a strong presence inside the top three for much of the race, but it was a late-race surge from Carson Ferguson that stole the spotlight. Charging from the 16th starting position, Ferguson sliced through the field to finish second, coming up just one spot shy of his first career series victory.

Bailes settled for third, while Layton Sullivan delivered an impressive drive from 12th to fourth. Cody Overton rounded out the top five with one of the night’s most notable performances, advancing from 20th to fifth.

Clarks Hill Classic – Feature Results (40 Laps):
1-92 – Joseph Brown
2-93 – Carson Ferguson
3-09 – Ross Bailes
4-2 – Layton Sullivan
5-97 – Cody Overton
6-611 – Koulten Herbert
7-24D – Michael Brown
8-18B – Austin Yarbrough
9-44 – John Ruggiero Jr.
10-46 – Deisel Jones
11-J1 – Joshua Bishop
12-12C – Chase Giddens
13-16 – Caleb Gay
14-22S – Griffin Smith
15-22 – Jonah Bozeman
16-44M – Eddie Morris
17-57 – Luke Cooper
18-18 – Matt Dooley
19-515 – Bubba Roling
20-24 – Austin Bloodworth
21-G4 – Trent Ivey
22-1 – Cameron Tribble
23-66 – Preston Dimsdale
24-21 – Joey Armistead III
25-5 – Colby Quick

Event Awards:
MyRacePass/Fantasy Racing Hot Laps: Joseph Brown (16.296)
Bama Sheds & Pole Barns Pole Award: Luke Cooper (15.966)
Scorpion Race Cars Hard Charger: Koulten Herbert (+16, 22nd to 6th)
Columbus Sports Cards Tough Luck Award: Trent Ivey (Running 3rd/Engine Trouble)
87 Ink 15th Place Finisher: Jonah Bozeman

With back-to-back wins to start the season, Brown now sits firmly atop the championship standings as the series begins to take shape.

CRUSA Dirt Late Model Series Points (Top 10 – After Modoc):
1-Joseph Brown – 200
2-Deisel Jones – 172 (-28)
3-Caleb Gay – 168 (-32)
4-Austin Yarbrough – 168 (-32)
5-Koulten Herbert – 156 (-44)
6-Griffin Smith – 154 (-46)
7-Chase Giddens – 154 (-46)
8-Bubba Roling – 152 (-48)
9-Matt Dooley – 152 (-48)
10-Trent Ivey – 144 (-56)

The Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series now turns its attention to another historic venue, as drivers head to Dixie Speedway in Woodstock, Georgia on Saturday, April 18th. A $3,000 payday awaits in Round 3 of the 2026 season.

Fans unable to attend can catch all the action live on Crate Racin’ USA TV.

For more information on the Rogers-Dabbs Performance Parts Crate Racin’ USA Dirt Late Model Series, including schedules, results, and updates, visit www.crateracinusa.com or follow Crate Racin’ USA 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: Richard Barnes Photography

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