MODOC, S.C. — Portions of Cody Overton‘s season have had him wondering if his career as a professional dirt Late Model driver was over.
Now, his future has never been brighter.
In front of his home fans at Modoc Speedway, Overton fulfilled a dream he’s been chasing relentlessly for three years – becoming a winner with the World of Outlaws Late Model Series presented by DIRTVision.
Overton’s 2026 season began with an attempt to field his own car on the road with the World of Outlaws following the departure of his car owner for the previous two seasons, Dave Steine. But a plethora of engine problems in Florida ended that plan almost as soon as it began, leaving Overton without a stable ride for the season.
As the year progressed, Overton strung together multiple short-term deals to stay active in the sport while he evaluated his options.
That was until June, when Minnesota businessman James Trantina offered to start a second touring Late Model team alongside Dan Ebert, and bring Overton on board to drive it. Ever since, Overton has been back and better than ever.
Entering the Modoc 100, Overton had won seven times in regional Late Model action in Trantina’s car. But Overton’s desire to become a World of Outlaws winner never faded, and he knew a weekend at his home track could be his chance to pounce. When he won his heat and pulled the pole, Overton started to believe it could be his night.
Overton remained flawless throughout the main event, keeping southern legends like Chris Madden and Jonathan Davenport in his tire tracks. But behind them, a charge was mounting in the form of Bobby Pierce, as the points leader had worked his way from 20th to fourth when the final caution flew with seven laps remaining.
The “Smooth Operator” quickly got to second and gave Overton all he could handle in the late stages, but Overton held him off to successfully defend his home turf against the winningest Late Model driver in the country in 2026.
“I kept telling myself he’s gonna have to kill me to come through here,” a tearful Overton said in Victory Lane. “No one understands how hard it is to win one of these. This is a dream come true, it is. I can’t thank James [enough]. I know it’s not a lot of money, but these are the hardest races to win and no one gets it. I got one.”
Pierce earned the FOX Factory Hard Charger Award for his drive up to second ahead of Davenport in third. Madden and Nick Hoffman rounded out the top five.
The finish:
Feature (40 Laps): 1. 97-Cody Overton[1]; 2. 32-Bobby Pierce[20]; 3. 49-Jonathan Davenport[4]; 4. 44-Chris Madden[3]; 5. 9-Nick Hoffman[5]; 6. 6-Hudson O’Neal[10]; 7. 76-Brandon Overton[7]; 8. 28-Dennis Erb Jr[21]; 9. 14-Trey Mills[16]; 10. 10-Garrett Smith[2]; 11. 74X-Ethan Dotson[13]; 12. 58V-Daulton Wilson[6]; 13. 9M-Tim McCreadie[23]; 14. 19-Dustin Sorensen[24]; 15. 15-Ethan Wilson[19]; 16. 19R-Ryan Gustin[18]; 17. 24-Michael Brown[11]; 18. 16B-Ross Bailes[17]; 19. 8-Kyle Strickler[15]; 20. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain[9]; 21. 1-Tyler Erb[12]; 22. 22-Chris Ferguson[14]; 23. 93-Carson Ferguson[8]; 24. 1Z-Logan Zarin[22]; 25. 55E-Eli Johnson[26]; 26. B1-Brent Larson[25]
