DAYTONA BEACH â€" Aside from a win by visiting IndyCar regular Danica Patrick, nothing that happens in the NASCAR Nationwide Series Subway Jalapeno 250 on Friday night is likely to rival the excitement of the race last year.
That's when Dale Earnhardt Jr., driving the No. 3 Chevrolet painted in the yellow-and-blue Wrangler sponsor colors, won in what was one of the most emotional feel-good NASCAR stories of the season.
That said, there should be no shortage of excitement, especially considering a surprisingly action-packed final practice session Thursday night on a track that had largely been washed clean of rubber by rain earlier in the afternoon.
Drivers involved in on-track practice incidents included Clint Bowyer, Steve Wallace, Michael Annett, Elliott Sadler, Brian Scott, former Daytona 500 winner Derrick Cope and even Patrick, who brushed the wall while drafting with teammate Aric Almirola of Tampa.
Though Dale Earnhardt Jr. isn't competing in this year's Nationwide race, he and his sister, Kelley, own the Almirola and Patrick cars. There is an Earnhardt on the entry list, though â€" Jeffery Earnhardt, son of former driver Kerry Earnhardt, Dale Jr.'s older brother.
Also entered is Tallahassee's Ricky Carmichael, the former motocross champion who learned his stock car racing chops at Orlando Speedworld.
Several regular Sprint Cup series drivers will also compete in the race on Friday, including Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Carl Edwards and Lakeland's Joe Nemechek. Trevor Bayne, the 2011 Daytona 500 winner who was sidelined part of the season by illness, will be back on track tonight.
Forty-five cars are expected to attempt to qualify Friday afternoon for the 43 slots in the 7:30 p.m. race. Two cars topped 196 mph in final practice â€" Logano, at 196.164 mph, and Keselowski at 196.155 mph, but thjose speeds were in the draft, so today's qualifying will be slower.
Sixteen races into the 34-race season, Reed Sorenson is the Nationwide points leader, followed by former Sprint Cup driver Elliott Sadler, who is just five points behind. Third is Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., seven points behind Sorenson, and fourth is Justin Allgaier, 34 points back.
Sorenson inherited a win at last week's Bucyrus 200 at Road America in Wisonsin, the series' first road course race this year. Allgaier was leading during the last lap of the race when he ran out of gas.
The race, scheduled for 50 laps, ended up running 57 due to caution flags, and Sorenson had a few drops more than Allgaier, earning him his first win since 2007.
The Subway Japapeno 250 â€" that's 250 miles, which is 100 laps â€"will air on ESPN from 7-10 p.m.
SCSmith3@Tribune.com.
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