Key notes: A new clay surface was applied to East Alabama Motor Speedway in preparation for this weekend’s 53rd annual National 100, concluding with Saturday’s 60-lap, $25,000-to-win finale. … The two-day event began when Cody Overton of Evans, Ga., paced the final 29 circuits of Friday’s 40-lap prelim, worth $10,000. Overton has now won six of his last eight feature starts overall, dating back to Sept. 19’s WISSOTA 100 at I-94 EMR Speedway in Fergus Falls, Minn. … Tyler Erb of New Waverly, Texas, has won the last two National 100 finales, but he is competing this weekend at Portsmouth (Ohio) Raceway Park. … Mark Whitener of Middleburg, Fla., Friday’s runner-up, 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. … 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. … Jimmy Owens of Newport, Tenn., fresh off his Oct. 22 FloRacing Night in America Series victory at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn., is a two-time National 100 winner (2012, ’15), worth $40,000. … 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. … Watch live on FloRacing.

Who to watch: Cody Overton of Evans, Ga., seeks the National 100 sweep at EAMS after winning Friday’s $10,000 opener.

Expected entrants: Cody Overton, Mark Whitener, Brandon Overton, Ryan Gustin, Jimmy Owens, Ethan Dotson, Wil Herrington, Michael Page, Dalton Cook, Tucker Anderson, Spencer Hughes, Dennis Erb Jr., Brenden Smith, Caleb Gay, Austin Bloodworth, Todd Morrow, Jimmy Thomas, J.R. Moseley, Richie Stephens, Allen Styck, Brody Smith, Ches Chester, Griffin Smith, Tyler Thomason and others.

Current weather: Overcast, 73°F

Car count: 32