CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — At the height of his father's success at Charlotte Motor Speedway, Dale Earnhardt Jr. would sit in the Turn 1 condos overlooking the track. The Earnhardts are from Kannapolis, just one town away, and watching Dale Earnhardt at the speedway was a source of pride. Next week marks the 20th anniversary of the late Earnhardt sweeping both the All-Star Race and the Coca-Cola 600, an event his son compared to the years his father dominated NASCAR. Regan Smith replaced Earnhardt in the No. 88 Chevrolet, and he wrestled with whether to attend the race or watch it on TV at home.

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Sprint Cup points leader Jimmie Johnson, Kasey Kahne and Clint Bowyer, as well as NASCAR team owners Rick Hendrick, Michael Waltrip and Rob Kauffman will be raising money for children. There will be a silent auction for prizes, including a VIP package for a fan to visit to FOX NFL Sunday and meet the game-day crew.

When the rain stopped at about 11:30 a.m., track officials sent trucks onto the 2.5-mile oval to dry it. Thirty-three driver-car combinations are expected to make qualifying attempts to fill the first 24 starting spots in the 33-car field.

A few feet away, on another wall, is a poster of team owner A.J. Foyt wearing an Indianapolis 500 winner's ring -- a stark reminder of what happened last May and of Sato's primary goal this month. Running side-by-side with Dario Franchitti heading into the first turn of the last lap, Franchitti took a higher line, leaving Sato a narrow lane just below the white line. Sato took a chance and as Franchitti squeezed the opening, the tires on both cars appeared to touch, sending Sato into a spin and into the outside wall. Two years ago, JR Hildebrand was coming through the final turn of the final lap when he approached a slower car and went to the high side of Indy's oval -- a rookie mistake that sent him into the wall, costing him the win. Three years ago, Mike Conway's car went airborne in a frightening last-lap crash at Indianapolis. A few weeks later, he didn't even qualify for Indy's 33-car starting grid, made it back last year after qualifying 29th and later told Foyt he would no longer run ovals. Jordan, British American Racing and Super Aguri, which ceased operations in 2008 and left Sato unemployed after one podium finish in 92 career starts. Two years later, Sato landed in the other big open-wheel series, IndyCar. Sato has made up for the difference in numbers with experience, intelligence and an ability to blend in on a team that includes Foyt, the feisty Texan; his adopted son, Larry, the calming team director; veteran engineer Don Halliday; and, this month, 21-year-old rookie Conor Daly. Sato was the second-fastest Honda driver heading into Friday's practice, posting a fast lap of 223.660 mph. Chevrolet has dominated the speed charts all week, as they did a year ago, though the Honda engines were better on race day.

The team owner has the defending series champ, the only two-time IndyCar winner this season, a hot-shot rookie who has been among the fastest drivers all week and his son, Marco, who is bursting with confidence now that he's back on his favorite tracks, the ovals. Ryan Hunter-Reay, the 2012 IndyCar champ and winner this year on a road course in Alabama, was the only Andretti driver not to hold the top spot at the end of a practice session this week. The Andrettis have aced every test they've taken this week thanks in part to the strong Chevrolet engines, which dominated Indy's qualifying last year and the speed charts this week. Panther Racing's JR Hildebrand, the 2011 Indy runner-up, and Spain's Oriol Servia, whose Dreyer & Reinbold Racing team is scheduled to disband after the May 26 race. Three-time race winner Dario Franchitti, a Scot driving for Target Chip Ganassi, and points leader Takuma Sato, the first Japanese driver to win an IndyCar race who is with A.J. Foyt's team, have been the fastest Honda drivers this week. The final nine spots for the 33-car starting grid would be filled Sunday. [...] the forecast is calling for isolated or scattered showers all afternoon Saturday, which threatens to wipe out the shootout and add pressure to making fast runs before the shootout is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. Hinchcliffe drew the No. 14 spot and will be the first Andretti driver to make a qualifying attempt.