DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- With two weeks remaining before the second annual NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown begins at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway, it's time to start sizing up the competition.
This special post season event includes drivers from two NASCAR divisions - the NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division and the NASCAR Grand National Division. The Grand National Division includes the Busch North Series and the West Series, and the top 15 drivers from each series have been invited to the Toyota All-Star Showdown. On Nov. 13, they'll race in a 150-lap event and battle for over $300,000 in prize money, including $26,000 to this year's race winner. SPEED Channel will provide live, flag-to-flag coverage of the event beginning at 8:00 p.m. (ET) Nov. 13.
Last year, West Series driver Austin Cameron provided a dramatic victory over Busch North Series star Andy Santerre, capping an emotional season that saw the El Cajon, Calif. driver return to racing after battling non-Hodgkin's lymphoma cancer during the 2003 season.
Here's a rundown of the 30 NASCAR Grand National Division drivers who are slated to do battle in this year's edition of the Toyota All-Star Showdown...
- Mike Duncan, Bakersfield, Calif. (won first West Series championship in 2004)
- Austin Cameron, El Cajon, Calif. (defending Toyota All-Star Showdown race winner)
- David Gilliland, Riverside, Calif. (2004 West Series Auto Meter rookie of the year)
- Scott Gaylord, Lakewood, Colo.
- Scott Lynch, Burley, Idaho
- Mike David, Modesto, Calif.
- Daryl Harr, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
- Carl Harr, St. Albert, Alberta, Canada
- Tim Woods III, Chino, Calif.
- Jose Luis Ramirez, Mexico City, Mexico
- Nick DeFazio, Newport Beach, Calif.
- Jack Sellers, Sacramento, Calif.
- Sean Woodside, Saugus, Calif.
- Bobby Hillis, Phoenix, Ariz.
- Brett Thompson, Jerome, Idaho (finished 16th in the West Series standings but replaces 11th place driver Gene Woods, who was unable to attend.)
- Andy Santerre, Cherryfield, Maine (three-time defending Busch North Series champion)
- Mike Olsen, North Haverhill, N.H.
- Dale Quarterley, Westfield, Mass.
- Kelly Moore, Scarborough, Maine
- Mike Stefanik, Coventry, R.I.
- Ryan Moore, Scarborough, Maine (Has signed driver development deal with Dale Earnhardt Inc., to compete in the NASCAR Busch Series in 2005)
- Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn.
- Joey McCarthy, Randolph, N.J. (led 100 laps of 2003 Toyota All-Star Showdown)
- Mike Johnson, Salisbury, Mass.
- Brian Hoar, Williston, Vt.
- Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass.
- Bobby Dragon, Milton, Vt.
- Bryon Chew, Mattituck, N.Y.
- Jamie Aube, Manchester, N.H.
- Ryan Seaman, Toms River, N.J. (2004 Busch North Series Auto Meter rookie of the year, finished 16th in Busch North Series point standings and replaced 14th place driver Bill Penfold, who was unable to attend.)
