Kurt Busch, driver of the No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota, crosses the finish line ahead of Denny Hamlin, in the No. 18 Z-Line Designs Toyota, to win the NASCAR Nationwide Series Virginia 529 College Savings 250 at Richmond International Raceway in April 2012
Photo – Todd Warshaw/Getty Images

One of the most exciting things in racing is short track racing under the lights.

On this coming Friday night, the Nationwide Series drivers will be out on the track competing for the win under the lights. Richmond always puts on a great show and this Friday Night should be no different. All of the Nationwide Series regulars are ready to get back on the track after a week off and they all will be hungry for the win, along with Sprint Cup regulars in the race also looking to bring home the victory. With all of this expected for this weekend’s Nationwide race, it’s sure to be one exciting event.

The Toyota Care 250 is scheduled to go green on Friday, April 26, 2013 at 7:44 PM EST. The race will consist of 250 laps and 187.5 miles. Friday night’s weather forecast looks great with mainly clear skies, a low of 46 F and only a 10% chance of rain. With that weather forecast, Friday night is shaping up to be a great night to go short-track racing. You can watch the race on TV via ESPN NEWS and a radio version of the broadcast can be found on MRN.

When the Nationwide Series rolled into Richmond last April, fans saw a great finish between two star Cup drivers. As Denny Hamlin chased Kurt Busch in the final laps, a photo finish loomed. The two raced side-by-side for the final lap and a half and as they beat and banged to the finish, Busch edged Hamlin out at the line. A little slip by Hamlin as they came to the line likely caused a loss for the hometown boy, but the win was special for Busch since he gave his brother Kyle his first Nationwide win as a team-owner. If that type of finish is in-store for this race, fans will be on the edge of their seat for all of the final laps.

Many notable drivers will be in this race this weekend. Among the most notable are Jeffery Earnhardt, Ryan Reed and Kenny Wallace. Earnhardt will be driving for his uncle, Dale Earnhardt Jr., in the JR Motorsports No.5 car. Uncle Dale has seen a potential in his nephew and he believes that is time to see how well he can race.

The California kid, Ryan Reed, will be making his Nationwide Series debut this weekend with Roush Fenway Racing. Reed is known for being diabetic and he will be one of the few drivers to race in NASCAR with diabetes. Reed is a young-gun making storylines this weekend, but an older driver making some noise this weekend is Kenny Wallace. Wallace runs limited Nationwide Series races and he’ll be competing this weekend for the first time this season. Wallace does exceptionally well at Richmond and he could easily be a contender for the victory this weekend.

Sam Hornish Jr. continues to sit on top of the points standings and looks to remain there after this race. He has been doing very well this season and it will be hard to dethrone him from the top of the standings. Regan Smith, Austin Dillon and Justin Allgaier are among the drivers who are barely trailing Hornish Jr. in the standings and they’ll look to take over that position on Friday night.

When the Nationwide Series is scheduled to run a Friday night race on a short-track, the race is always much anticipated for a good reason. There’s nothing more a racing fan likes than seeing a short-track race under the lights and that’s exactly what will be happening this Friday. Drivers may get a little feisty when racing on a short-track and that could spark some great racing. Overall, this Nationwide Race is a must-see and it could be one of the best of the early season. Tempers will flare, sheet-metal will tear, and the gloves will come off when the Toyota Care 250 goes green on Friday night.

Event Schedule

9:00-11:50 AM EST (Thursday) Nationwide Series Practice, not televised

9:00-11:30 AM EST (Friday) Nationwide Series Final Practice, not televised

4:05 PM EST (Friday) Nationwide Series Qualifying, not televised

7:30 PM EST (Friday) Nationwide Series’ Race, the Toyota Care 250, televised on ESPN NEWS

Next Race– Aaron’s 312 at the Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama

Entry List via Jayksi.com