Key notes: A new clay surface was applied to East Alabama Motor Speedway in preparation for this weekend’s 53rd annual National 100. … The two-day event gets underway with Friday’s 40-lap, $10,000-to-win opener preceding Saturday’s 60-lap, $25,000-to win finale for unsanctioned Super Late Models. … Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, has won the last two National 100 finales, but he is expected to compete this weekend at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park. … Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., enters the weekend as a two-time National 100 finale winner (2021-’22), earning more than $50,000. Overton has eight major EAMS victories since 2017, worth more than $100,000 over that span. … Mark Whitener of Middleburg, Fla., topped September’s Alabama State Championship, worth $7,500 in Limited Late Model action. Whitener now has 17 career EAMS specials since 2008, collecting more than $84,000. … Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., is a two-time National 100 winner (2012, ’15), worth $40,000. … Kyle Bronson of Brandon, Fla., won back-to-back $10,000 races last summer in unsanctioned action at EAMS. … Ethan Dotson of Bakersfield, Calif., collected a $15,000 National 100 prelim in 2024 on the now-defunct XR Super Series. … 604 Crates ($4,000-to-win Sunday) and 602 Crates ($4,000-to-win Sunday) headline a seven-division undercard. … Pits open at 1 p.m. for Friday’s prelim and 9 a.m. for Saturday’s finale; grandstands open at 4 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m. Saturday with hot laps at 6:30 p.m. for Friday’s opener before on-track activity begins at 11:30 a.m. for Saturday’s finale. … Watch live on FloRacing. … Practice is 7-10 p.m. Thursday night.

Who to watch: Brandon Overton of Evans, Ga., eyes his third career National 100 finale at EAMS.

Expected entrants: Brandon Overton, Chris Madden, Ryan Gustin, Sam Seawright, Mark Whitener, Cody Overton, Jimmy Owens, Ethan Dotson, Dalton Cook, Kyle Bronson, Daulton Wilson, Dennis Erb Jr., Josh Putnam, Luke Morey, Jordy Nipper, Austin Horton, J.R. Moseley, Tyler Thomason and others.

Next series race: October 31, East Alabama Motor Speedway (Phenix City, AL) $25,000