Bowles Endures Brawling at Irwindale to Win Toyota All-Star Showdown

Photo Credit: Tood Warshaw

Since 2003, the Toyota All-Star Showdown has provided an ideal opportunity for up and coming drivers for NASCAR's lower touring series to show off their skills on a larger stage. With national television, big prize money and the chance to attract notoriety makes the half-mile oval of Toyota Speedway at Irwindale a popular race that any aspiring stock car racer would want to win. Prevailing in the 2011 edition of the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale's major showcase, California native Jason Bowles positioned himself in the right place at the right time to take victory in the Toyota All-Star Showdown in a race that challenged the survival of the fittest cars and drivers. Divided into three-stages (two 100-lap and a final 25-lap stint), 40 NASCAR K&N Series Tour cars would wage war in one of the more physical runnings of the Toyota All-Star Showdown.

With the pole sitting #44 Chevrolet of Derek Thorn taking the field to green, the first caution in the 225-lap event flew only 4 laps into the event when fire erupted from the #11 Chevrolet of Auggie Vidovich leaving an oily slick on the race track surface. Vidovich would be joined by several driver behind the wall early in Toyota All-Star Showdown with runner-up of last year's race Sergio Pena forced to park his Ford. Totaling 6 cautions falling in the first race segment, Thorn led unchallenged for the lead around the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

Photo Credit: Tood Warshaw

Of the 40 cars that started the event, 16 were declared out of the race largely for accidents. This list included the reigning 2010 NASCAR K&N Series West champion Eric Holmes who was caught within a multi-car wreck on lap 27 including 8 competitors. Eric Holmes' NAPA Toyota, a former winner of the Super Late Model event during the Toyota All-Star Showdown weekend, settled into a finish of 35th position in the final results. A red flag was needed to clean the wreckage on the Irwindale oval.

After a pit stop under a competition caution, Andrew Myers' #77 Ford flew to the lead for what would be a drastically different second segment. Green flag racing for 92 laps, the stint ended with Travis Milburn backstretch spin on lap 195. Suffering a tire puncture leading, Andrew Myers was forced to pit road under the caution flag which also contained a 10-minute break. Ending of the 2011 Toyota All-Star Showdown second 100-lap segment, the caution is a stage for race's final run. It was within this 25-lap sprint that some major firework ignited at the front.

The #12 Toyota of Paulie Harraka took the lead as the third segment. However, Harraka would be rudely unseated on lap 206 when polesitter Derek Thorn skated up the race track through the turn 3-4 complex as the #44 Chevrolet spun out the #12 car. The incident involving 6 cars also consisted #32 Chevrolet of Dale Quarterly and the #66 Toyota of Steven Wallace resulted in carnage that netted a second red flag race stoppage. Citing Thorn for making avoidable contact, NASCAR ordered the #44 car of Derek Thorn to the back of the pack. Piloting a Rusty Wallace Racing-built #75 Toyota Camry, Jason Bowles was rewarded with the lead by result of Thorn being penalized by NASCAR.

While Bowles restarted out front, Greg Purlsey shot to the lead on lap 211 surging his #26 Ford to the first place spot. A 11th caution once again slowed the Toyota All-Star Showdown three lap later for a 3-car accident. With caution falling 11 laps to the end, NASCAR elected to save green flag laps by calling a third and final red flag period. With 8 laps remaining, Purlsey's chance of victory was upsetted he reported a flat tire on his #26 Ford. Dropping off the pace on the restart, Purlsey surrendered the lead with Jason Bowles surging to the top spot with the #75 Toyota going on to win the 2011 Toyota All-Star Showdown.

Fresh off the Toyota All-Star Showdown win, I have to admit that I was sort of put off by the first question asked by Speed TV race reporter Dick Berggren after Jason Bowles exited victorious from his #75 Toyota. "Are you surprised you won this when so many of the good guys didn't?". I know you can't say the right thing all the time but the last thing a race winner would is their emotional high to be buzz-killed by even accidental implication that a victory was some-how hollow.

As Jason Bowles piloted his #75 Toyota to victory for Canadian owner Marty Gaunt, the runner-up to the Toyota All-Star Showdown is Canadian driver DJ Kennington. A mainstay of the CASCAR Super Series and later the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, Kennington started off in 15th place where he consistently climbed into the top-10 and skillfully avoided trouble. Having made several starts in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, this run at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale is DJ Kennington's best NASCAR finish south of the Canadian border. Through the closing 9 laps, Kennington tested the bottom of the progressive-banked oval but was unable to gain the momentum to pass Bowles' #75 car. Rounding out the top-5 of the 2011 Toyota All-Star Showdown was Jonathon Gomez, Luis Martinez, Jr. and Johnny Borneman.

One of the more profiled acts making a first-ever endeavour into NASCAR stock car racing in the Toyota All-Star Showdown was motocross and rally car driver Travis Pastrana. Announcing he was stepping into NASCAR late last year with team owner Michael Waltrip, Pastrana's planned entrance into the NASCAR Nationwide Series for 7 races in 2011 requires the 27-year old to gain stock car seat time to satisfy NASCAR as well as himself and future team that his debut at the Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis is appropriate. Driving a Boost Mobile-sponsored Toyota for Pastrana-Waltrip Racing, he recorded a 6th place finish at Irwindale surviving what was a treacherous half-mile.

Photo Credit: Todd Warshaw

A 2009 champion of the Camping World (now K&N Series) West Series, the 2011 Toyota All-Star race winner Jason Bowles spent a good deal of 2010 gaining seat time in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. As a highlight of his 2010 season Jason Bowles finished second at the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race during the Honda Indy of Toronto weekend and almost won the 100-mile event at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve if foiled by Andrew Ranger on the race's final lap. With 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion D.J. Kennington pulling off a magnificent 2nd place run at the checkered flag, the 2011 Toyota All-Star Showdown has easily provided some credence to the North-most stock car tour.

Joey Logano Wins NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale

Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR


The 7th running of the Toyota All-Star Showdown again gathered the best of the NASCAR touring series drivers from the east, west of the United States, Mexico and even from Canada (two-time and defending NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion Andrew Ranger). Held at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale short track, the All-Star Showdown has proven instrumental to allowing developing drivers wishing to build their racing resumes.

This year, the race also featured the appearance of touring series alumni Joey Logano and David Gilliland, two drivers who are now pursuing the glitzier competition of the NASCAR Sprint Cup and NASCAR Nationwide Series thanks to a prior victory in the Toyota All-Star showdown. Preparing to start his sophomore season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup series in just three weeks with the 2010 Daytona 500, the Irwindale, California event was Joey Logano's first nationally-significant introduction in 2007 winning the race at only 16 years of age. Logano and Gilliland's presence somewhat disturbs the race's true goal to highlight talent of the smaller NASCAR series. However, with only two drivers, the Toyota All-Star Showdown is nowhere near as saturated by top-level NASCAR ringers.

Confusing the construction of the Toyota All-Star Showdown, race debuts were also slated for European RACECAR series driver Billy Boucenna (will failed to qualify for the 225 lap feature) and NASCAR's Drive for Diversity latest driver Sergio Pena. A 16 year old high school junior from Winchester, Virginia Pena gained his ride through winning a competition with three of his teammates amongst the driver diversity program. Though the reason admitting the rookie driver into the race wasn't completely to the spirit of a so-called 'All-Star Showdown', Pena's performance in Friday qualifying quickly saw the teenager become a star within stars. Driving a #4 Chevrolet for Revolution Racing, Pena set a time that clinched the pole for the Saturday main event beating Joey Logano #25 Home Depot Toyota.

As the green flag dropped, it became clear that the cars starting in the front-row had all the stamina to win the race. Holding tight with the hotly-promoted phenom Logano, Sergio Pena rarely left more than a car length to the Toyota through the race's first 98-lap segment. While Joey Logano was able to hold off the debuting 16 year old, Pena determination on the inside of Logano finally paid off early through the race restart on lap 106.

Pena placed his Chevy out front leading his first 18 laps in a K&N Pro Series stock car. Logano, having been raced hard by the newcomer, would exploit Pena's only visible weakness coming on the multitude of restarts resulting from a total 15 caution periods in the 225-lap race. Surviving a lap 117 restart where the Home Depot Toyota aggressively hunted the #4 Chevrolet, Logano did break through on lap 134 placing Pena back behind him. While the two drivers would end up being only leaders of the race, Ryan Truex and defending All-Star race winner of 2009 Matt Kobyluck emerged past the midway point as additional competition.

With Sergio Pena never letting up on the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year, he once again gained the event's lead with his stock car on 178th lap, leading the field to the final 25 lap sprint to the end. Amongst this final 25 lap distance, which was extended by a red flag, Kobyluck and Logano charged Pena on the restart losing the led to Logano and second to Matt Kobyluck. After losing the positions on the race track, Sergio Pena regathered himself. He retook the 2nd place from Kobyluck and set sights on Joey Logano for what would be the ultimate underdog story of 2010. Bringing the good fight, Pena's efforts for victory could not overcome Logano and his Toyota in taking the 2010 Toyota All-Star Showdown.


Photo Credit: Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images for NASCAR


the fairest way to describe the match up would mirror the first Rocky movie. A recent unknown competitor, while ambitious and talented, receives the break only few athletes could even comprehend. Expected only to complete well considering the seasoned stars around him, Pena rises to the occasion proving to have not only the skills but the heart to triumph. Reminiscent to the ending of the film, the challenger loses the match with the veteran (though the veteran is 3 years older than Pena). However, Sergio Pena wins not only the fans in Irwindale and watching on television, but likely the headlines yet to be written for his future in NASCAR competition. Expect to hear more about Sergio Pena in the NASCAR's K&N Pro Series through 2010.


2010 Toyota All-Star Showdown Results

1. #25 Joey Logano
2. #4 Sergio Pena
3. #40 Matt Kobyluck
4. #98 Matt DiBenedetto
5. #77 Andrew Myers
6. #20 Eric Holmes
7. #17 David Mayhew
8. #71 Eddie MacDonald
9. #12 Paulie Harraka
10. #35 Steve Park

15. #19 Andrew Ranger
25. #2 Daryl Harr
26. #00 Ryan Truex
32. #50 Auggie Vidovich
37. #31 Sean Caisse
38. #89 David Gilliland