The 2011 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, the sport’s premier short-track racing showcase, will return to the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) on Jan. 28-29.
The eighth running of the event, which brings together the top racers from across North America and has grown into the ”Daytona 500 of short-track racing,” will be highlighted by the 225-lap NASCAR K&N Pro Series all-star race, and features a pair of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series races.
By virtue of his NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national title, Connecticut’s Keith Rocco earned a secured spot in the starting lineup for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series race.
Rocco also has a starting spot in the 50-lap Late Model race as a result of being one of the top five state champions. Craig Preble (Nebraska), Duane Howard (Pennsylvania), Justin Johnson (Virginia) and Ron Sheridan (Ontario) also have secured starting positions if they elect to enter the race.
New this season will be heat races to set the field for the Late Model and 75-lap NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model race. The 25-car feature fields will be determined by a pair of heat races for each — 25 laps for the Super Late Models and 20 laps for the Late Models.
Tim Huddleston won the Late Model race last year, while former Toyota Speedway track champion Rip Michels won the Super Late Model event.
The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown main event is broken up into three sections – two 100-lap segments preceding a 25-lap dash to the finish. Last year, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Joey Logano became just the second driver to win two Showdowns when he held off a furious challenge over the closing laps from 17-year-old Sergio Pena, who was making his series debut for Revolution Racing/Drive for Diversity in the event.
Both nights of racing will air live on SPEED as part of full weekend of racing on SPEED that includes the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series’ Rolex 24 at Daytona.
