Logano Hopes Third Time The Charm For All-Star Showdown

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Jan. 11, 2009) - In his first time out in the NASCAR
Toyota All-Star Showdown, Joey Logano took home the championship trophy.
Last year, he nearly did it again.
Logano hopes the third time is the charm in his quest to become a two-time
winner. Logano, who was in Lake Placid, N.Y., over the weekend for the
Fifth Annual Lucas Oil Geoff Bodine Bobsled Challenge presented by Whelen
Engineering - which he won - confirmed that he will enter the "Daytona 500
of short-track racing" at the Toyota Speedway in Irwindale (Calif.) on
Jan. 29-30.
"I'm really excited to have an opportunity to get back out to the Toyota
Speedway for the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown," Logano said. "I had a
lot of fun last year and we are going try and get the trophy back this
year."
Logano, the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Raybestos Rookie of the Year
winner, will carry the trademark orange of his Sprint Cup Series sponsor
Home Depot in the event. But the car will have distinct NASCAR Camping
World Series roots - he will drive for series veteran Mike Olsen.
Logano appreciates the importance of the series, which thrust him into the
national spotlight. He won the Showdown as a 17-year-old in the Fall of
2007 to cap off his NASCAR Camping World Series East championship season.
When he was looking for a car owner to field him a car capable of winning
the race, he turned to Olsen, a two-time NASCAR Camping World Series East
champion as a driver who has transitioned to being a car owner in the
series.
In addition, Logano will run his first race with his new NASCAR Nationwide
Series crew chief, Kevin Kidd, atop the pit box.
"We are really excited to have The Home Depot on board with us for the
weekend," Logano said. "Mike Olson from Fadden Racing stepped up and is
going to provide us a solid car for the weekend. We have Kevin Kidd coming
out with us to call the race so we feel like we have a pretty good shot."
Logano set the series mark for youngest pole winner and race winner during
his NASCAR Camping World Series East championship season. While both
records have since been eclipsed by Brett Moffitt, Logano has gone on to
become the youngest winner in NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Sprint
Cup Series history.
Last year, he returned to Irwindale with Joe Gibbs Racing. Logano looked
like he was on his way to a second win before losing the lead on a
late-race restart. His bid for a last-corner, last-lap pass of race leader
Peyton Sellers resulted in him making contact with Sellers. Sellers spun
and Logano crossed the finish line first. However, a subsequent penalty on
Logano for the move meant Matt Kobyluck became the first two-time winner
of the all-star event.
The seventh running of the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown will be
highlighted by the 225-lap Camping World Series all-star race. Each race
winner during the 2009 Camping World Series East and West seasons is
eligible for a protected starting spot, as are the 2009 champions from
each of NASCAR's six regional touring series and the NASCAR Whelen
All-American Series national champion.
Logano will face some of the best short-track drivers in North America.
Early commitments include Camping World Series champions Ryan Truex (East)
and Jason Bowles (West), two-time Showdown winner Matt Kobyluck, Sean
Caisse, Eric Holmes, Jim Inglebright, David Mayhew, Eddie MacDonald, Steve
Park and Greg Pursley.
In addition to eligible 2009 race winners and series champions, the
starting lineup will be determined through time trials, limited
provisionals for Camping World Series regulars, and the last-chance "Open"
race that provides drivers one final chance to make the grid.
The 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown schedule also includes 100-lap
Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model and 75-lap Late Model races.
Both nights of racing will air live on SPEED.