The Seneca 400 is going to be a very competitive race as many of the over 75 cars are running speeds very similar as they all chase grip on the old pavement, but on Friday two drivers stood apart just enough to give us something to talk about. Former USAR Pro-Cup driver, Frank Deiny, who is piloting the Dave Dunlap owned car in this weekends race was the guy everyone was pointing to at the end of the day.

Deiny unofficially was clocked turning a 20.78 second lap around the half mile tri-oval while making a sticker run during one of the practice sessions. Deiny was fast, but he wasn't alone. Jamie Yelton, who recently has been making more headlines for his Fat Head Racing Rental Program than racing was ready to put himself back on the radar Friday in practice.

Yelton turned laps reportedly between 20.81 to 20.85 while several other drivers found themselves turning fast laps. Thursday's fastest car driven by Lucas Ransone was again fast,

but slightly behind the two fastest drivers. Also in the mix was some of the usual suspects in two-time Myrtle Beach Speedway track champion, Rick Smith and this years champion, Sam Yarbrough.

Unfortunately for Yarbrough his good times were thrown out the window when he lost control and crashed his car. According to Yarbrough he won't be able to run that car and has no backup car so he won't be competing in the Seneca 400 and won't be able to defend his 2007 win.

Ransone wasn't the only driver not on many people's radar that has been fast as UARA-STARS regular, Roger Lee Newton. As we first reported to you earlier in the week, Dexter Canipe, Sr. is heading up Newton's program this weekend and it has really got Newton turning in some fast times.

Tri-County Motor Speedway regular, RA Brown said he struggled a bit today to find speed on his sticker tire runs, but that he expects to be fast once the green flag drops for the Seneca 400. Brown wasn't alone as a lot of other drivers were struggling including Garrett Campbell, who just hasn't got the car the way he wants it to be, but expects to turn it around in time for qualifying tomorrow.

With a strong field of cars and a lot of top name drivers set to do battle in the Seneca 400 it's going to be a great weekend and it's just starting to heat up(not the weather) on the track as Saturday brings qualifying for the Late Model Stock Car division and racing in several of the tracks support divisions with most of those divisions sporting very good car counts.