Key notes: Talladega Short Track hosts the 35th annual Ice Bowl, a $7,500-to-win Super Late Model special. … The event will utilize Southern Thunder Super Dirt Series officiating. … Limited Late Models and street stocks completed time trials and heat races Thursday before contesting consolations and features on Friday’s undercard; all other racing divisions will qualify and heat race Friday prior to Saturday’s consolations and main events. … Sam Seawright of Rainsville, Ala., earned his first career Ice Bowl last year, worth $7,500. Seawright held off Michael Page to win last spring’s $12,000 Hunt the Front Series stop. … Page, of Douglasville, Ga., is a five-time Ice Bowl winner (2017-’21) and appeared to win his sixth straight event in ’22 before track officials disqualified him for a failed tire sample, giving the $6,000 payday to Christian Hanger. … Ryan Gustin of Marshalltown, Iowa, topped 2024’s Ice Bowl XXXIII. … Ray Cook of Brasstown, N.C., inherited 2023’s Ice Bowl after Seawright suffered a late-race flat tire. … Dylan Knowles of Lanett, Ala., earned his first career World of Outlaws victory there in the spring of 2024, a $4,000 semifeature before that year’s Alabama Gang feature rained out. … The Crate Racin’ USA 604 Winter Series opens its season with Saturday’s $4,000-to-win opener headlining the eight-division undercard. … Gates open at 8 a.m. with on-track action at 10, daily. … Watch live on Crate Racin’ USA TV. … A total of 25 Late Models attended Thursday's practice session.

Who to watch: Sam Seawright of Rainsville, Ala., chases his second straight Ice Bowl victory at Talladega.

Expected entrants: Sam Seawright, Dalton Cook, Michael Page, Mark Whitener, Josh Putnam, Trey Mills, Zack Mitchell, Cory Hedgecock, Ethan Dotson, Christian Hanger, Oakley Johns, Jensen Ford, Dillon Tidmore, Dylan Knowles, Jon Lee, Jamie Oliver, Josh Henry, Mario Gresham, Dillard Hatchett, Devon Morgan, John Ownbey, Andy Picklesimer, Chase Oliver, Oliver Gentry, T.J. Brittain and more.