What won the race: Overcoming a four-lap dash to the checkers after a late-race caution, Joseph Brown of Columbus, Ga., led all 50 laps from the pole in dominating fashion, winning Saturday's third annual Southern Heritage Classic at Needmore Speedway. Brown beat Mark Whitener by 2.746 seconds for the $10,000 payday, his sixth career Rogers-Dabbs Crate Racin' USA victory and first of the season.

Quotable: “We literally got lapped at this race last year. I run second to Jeremy (Steele) for about 40 laps at (last year’s) Early Bird and that was the shortest race I’ve ever been in and I swear (tonight’s) was the longest race I’ve ever been in,” Brown said. “When they told me (Mark Whitener was behind me) on the raceceiver, I was like ‘Here he is.’ We got away from him for a year and he’s back and he’ll be tough to beat everywhere we go.”

Key notes: Brown bagged his sixth career Needmore special, adding to four Early Bird triumphs (2018-'20, '24) and a 2021 victory in unsanctioned Limiteds. ... Brown, fresh off a five-win season in CRUSA 604 Series action, earned his first Southern Heritage Classic victory. ... Brown saw a 7.601-second lead erased with a lap-34 caution then lost a 4.043-second advantage with the fifth and final stoppage on lap 47. ... Sixth-starting Mark Whitener passed Griffin Smith for second on lap 22 but never challenged Brown for the lead. Whitener later won the night's CRUSA 602 Series season opener, worth $4,000. ... Smith faded to finish ninth after trailing Brown the opening 21 laps. ... Seventh-starting Caleb Gay took third on the lap-47 restart and rounded out the podium finishers. ... Winter Shootout champ Deisel Jones, the Jan. 30 Needmore winner, slipped as low as sixth before rebounding to finish fourth. ... The lap-47 yellow flew when Russell Brown Jr. slowed from 11th and retired. Brown was also involved in a lap-38 restart incident after Trent Ivey and Chance Sealy tangled out of turn two, sending Sealy spinning into the right side of Brown's car; Sealy did not continue. ... Wil Herrington, winner of the night's $5,000 Limited Late Model feature, slowed from eighth for the original lap-38 slowdown. ... Colton Trouille spun from 10th and collected Jimmy Thomas for the lap-34 caution; Trouille retired while Thomas continued to finish 10th, the final starter to complete 50 laps. ... Jonah Bozeman slowed with nose damage for the first stoppage on lap three. ... The main event lasted 31 minutes with 14 starters running at the finish.

On the move: Trent Ivey of Union, S.C., started 18th and finished seventh.

Winner's sponsors: Brown's Rocket Chassis is powered by a Bobby Thomas Racing Engine and carries sponsorship from Thomas Trucking, Brown Heating & Air Conditioning, Harrod Logging, Knotts Paint & Body, Aide Trucking, Terminal Maintenance Construction, Scotty's Muffler, Benton's Paint & Body, JWC Roofing, Fox Factory Racing Shox, SRI Performance and 4Boyz Racing.

Who to watch: .

Points chase: After Needmore: 1. Joseph Brown (100); 2. Mark Whitener (96); 3. Caleb Gay (94); 4. Deisel Jones (92); 5. Bubba Roling (90).

Current weather: Overcast, 59°F

Car count: 33

Fast qualifier: Joseph Brown

Time: 15.800 seconds

Polesitter: Joseph Brown

Heat race winners: Griffin Smith, Deisel Jones, Bubba Roling, Joseph Brown

Consolation race winners: Austin Yarbrough, Trent Ivey

Provisional starters: Jonah Bozeman

Next series race: April 10, Screven Motor Speedway (Sylvania, GA) $10,000