Key notes: The Southern All Star Dirt Racing Series presented by Showtime Properties concludes its 2026 season with Sunday’s 36th annual Freddy Smith Blue-Gray 100, a 70-lap, $30,000-to-win program. … The event honors Hall of Famer Freddy Smith who died on Oct. 14, 2023, at age 76 after a brief bought with leukemia. … Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., leads all drivers with nine Blue-Gray 100 victories (2004, ’06, ’10, ’13, ’15, ’19, ’21-’23), worth more than $100,000. Madden seeks his second Cherokee Speedway victory of the season after topping the SAS-Spring Nationals co-sanctioned March Madness event for a $20,053 payday. … Jonathan Davenport of Blairsville, Ga., chases his second career Blue-Gray 100 triumph (2011) and first Cherokee victory since 2019’s March Madness, worth $12,000 in SAS action. Davenport is fresh off Saturday's $25,000 World of Outlaws victory at nearby Modoc (S.C.) Speedway. … Trent Ivey of Union, S.C., won 2024’s Blue-Gray 100 and March Madness events, earning more than $40,000 that year at 'The Place Your Mama Warned You About.' … Zack Mitchell of Enoree, S.C., won last year’s $35,000 Blue-Gray 100 finale in Hunt the Front Series competition while Carson Ferguson of Lincolnton, N.C., claimed the $8,022 Blue-Gray prelim. … Ben Watkins of Rock Hill, S.C., is a two-time Stick Elliott Memorial winner there in Carolina Clash Series action. … Longtime race official Rusty Carlton will be inducted into the Southern All Star Series Hall of Fame. … The Red Clay 602 Crate Late Model Series ($2,000-to-win), pure stocks (twin features), front-wheel drives and two divisions of Crown Vics are on the undercard. … Pits open at 1 p.m. and grandstands open at 2 with hot laps at 4. … Watch live on FloRacing and Hunt the Front TV. … Practice is 6-9 p.m. Saturday night; gates open at 4:30.

Who to watch: Chris Madden of Gray Court, S.C., seeks his all-time leading 10th Blue-Gray 100 triumph at Cherokee.

Points chase: Before Cherokee: 1. Tucker Anderson (3,192); 2. Kendall Franklin (3,054); 3. Dillon Daves (2,996); 4. Billy Franklin (2,862); 5. Will Hicks (2,416).

Expected entrants: Chris Madden, Jonathan Davenport, Brandon Overton, Chris Ferguson, Ben Watkins, Trent Ivey, Mike Marlar, Carson Ferguson, Ross Bailes, Zack Mitchell, Clay Harris, Michael Brown, Tucker Anderson, Jeremy Steele, Billy Franklin, Michael Leach, Beckham Malone, Gray Parton, Luke Morey, Anthony Sanders, Kendall Franklin, Adam Yarbrough, Steve Banal, Dillon Daves, Will Hicks and more.