DAYTONA BEACH, Florida -- Two weeks remain until the inaugural NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown begins at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway with the greatest field of NASCAR regional drivers ever assembled for a nationally-televised event, Nov. 6-8.
The NASCAR Elite Division, Kodak Southeast Series season is finished, Charlie Bradberry has been declared the 2003 champion and the 10 drivers representing the series are packing their haulers for the long trip west.
Forty Elite Division drivers have earned the chance to compete against their fellow competitors in the division. Drivers will represent their respective series – the Featherlite Southwest, the Kodak Southeast, the International Truck and Engine Corporation Midwest and the Raybestos Brakes Northwest.
Two drivers will represent South Carolina at this event with both very excited about competing for different reasons.
A.J. Frank, of Bluffton, S. C. finished ninth in the Kodak Southeast Series final points standings. Frank, driver of the Thunder Island Chevrolet, is excited about going to California to compete in this event and has an extra incentive to do well. On October 12, Frank’s wife, Allison, gave birth to their first child.
“We are going to California to win,” said Frank. “I remember when the Reutimann’s had their first child and David (Reutimann) won at South Boston Speedway. He had his incentive and now I have mine,” quipped Frank.
Steven Howard, of Easley, S. C., a 1996 track champion at Greenville-Pickens Speedway, has to believe this event is his lucky break. Howard’s year started off on a high note after he won the opening series event at his home track. From that point on, however, his year went downhill. He struggled for the remaining nine races, averaging a 16th place finish. At the end, he thought his goal of making the Toyota Showdown was gone when he finished 11th in the final standings by a mere two points. Howard was invited to compete after all, when fourth place Kodak Southeast Series finisher Terry Mason Jr. declined to race in the event.
“We struggled so much during the season after winning the opening event,” said Howard. “My goal all year was to finish in the top ten and qualify for the Toyota All-Star Showdown. You can imagine how I felt after the last race when we found out we had missed the top ten by one finishing position. Then when we were invited because another driver could not go, we jumped at the chance.
“California is a long way from South Carolina and we know the national television exposure will be benefit everyone. We have been given a second chance and we will not let that escape us.”
These two South Carolina drivers will be joined by Bradberry, of Birmingham, Ala., 2002 Kodak Southeast Series Champion Jeff Fultz, of Cincinnati, Ohio and the rest of the Kodak Southeast Series All-Stars.
