Weather permitting, Friday will be the earliest night race in the history of Mechanicsburg's Williams Grove Speedway. And a NASCAR Sprint Cup star will be getting in on the action.

Sprint cars and 358 sprints will be on the card at Williams Grove, with the first heat is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m.

While night racing in March is nothing new at the Grove, March 21 is the earliest a night race has ever been scheduled there.

Todd Shaffer, the defending Cindy Rowe Auto Glass champion at the track, has won four of the past 12 opening-night races, including two of the last three.

Shaffer is a two-time track champion who owns 34 career victories at Williams Grove and is currently just two behind Hall of Famer Bobby Allen for 10th place on the career win list.

But Shaffer will have some stiff competition, including NASCAR's Kasey Kahne. Because it is an off week on the Sprint Cup schedule, Kahne has brought his Budweiser/Open Joist sprint car to southcentral Pennsylvania, according to his Web site, and is planning to race at Williams Grove on Friday and at Abbottstown's Lincoln Speedway on Saturday.

Friday will also be the season's first appearance by the 358 division at Williams Grove. Pat Cannon won the limited sprint opener last year, then went on to win the division's championship. He will be back to defend his title this season.