Statistical Advance: Analyzing The Toyota All-Star Showdown

About the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown:
•  The 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown will be the seventh edition of the “Daytona 500 of short-track racing.” The event moved to January in 2009 after it was held for the first five years in the fall following the conclusion of the racing season. All six of the previous races have been held in Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.
•  The race features guaranteed starting positions for the champions of each NASCAR’s touring and weekly series: NASCAR K&N Pro Series (East and West), NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour, NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1, NASCAR Mexico Series and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series.
•  In addition to series champions, race winners from the 2009 NASCAR K&N Pro Series (East and West) also have guaranteed starting positions.
•  The remainder of the starting lineup will be determined through time trials, limited provisionals for NASCAR K&N Pro Series regulars, and the last-chance “Open” race that provides drivers one final chance to make the final starting grid.
•  In addition to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series 50-lap qualifying race on Friday and the 225-lap main on Saturday, the weekend will include a pair of NASCAR Whelen All-American Series races: Friday’s 100-lap Super Late Model race and Saturday’s 75-lap Late Model contest.

Toyota Speedway at Irwindale Data
Non-points Race (1/30/10)
Track Layout: .5-mile banked oval
•Opened in 1999.
•Has been the site for the first six NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdowns.
•Holds NASCAR Whelen All-American Series action on Saturday nights during the racing season.
•Has played host to the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West 20 times since 1999.

Qualifying/Race Data
2009 pole winner: Chris Johnson (98.366 mph, 18.299 seconds)
2009 race winner: Matt Kobyluck (53.457 mph, 2:20.18)
NKNPS qualifying record: Butch Gilliland (100.722 mph, 17.871 seconds, 6/19/99)

All-Star Showdown Race Winners
2003 ... Austin Cameron (West)
2004 ... Mike Johnson (East)
2005 ... David Gilliland (West)
2006 ... Matt Kobyluck (East)
2007 ... Joey Logano (East)
2009 ... Matt Kobyluck (East) 

Last Year’s Race:
•  Matt Kobyluck became the first two-time winner of the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown. Kobyluck was a benefactor of a last-lap incident between race leader Peyton Sellers and Joey Logano that saw Sellers wrecked in Turn 4 and Logano penalized to last place for aggressive driving. 
•  Following Kobyluck in the top five was Trevor Bayne, Jason Bowles, Johnny Borneman and Matt Crafton.
•  Brian Ickler led a race-high 100 laps while Logano led 83.
•  Chris Johnson won the pole with a time of 18.299 seconds.

NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown History:
•  The event has produced a different winner in five of its six previous editions.
•  Previous race winners include current NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers David Gilliland (2005) and Joey Logano (2007).
•  NASCAR K&N Pro Series West driver Austin Cameron won the inaugural race on Nov. 8, 2003. Andy Santerre, the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East champion that year, finished as the race runner-up.
•  After a second place finish to Mike Johnson and Gilliland the two previous years, Matt Kobyluck captured the 2006 Toyota All-Star Showdown.
•  There have been 102 different drivers that have made starts in the first five years of the All-Star Showdown.

Selected Driver Highlights:

Jason Bowles (West No. 6 Ford)
•  The 2009 NKNPS-West champion … Recorded three wins, three poles and 12 top 10s in 13 races during his championship campaign.
•  Has won the last three NKNPS-West races in Irwindale … Also has three poles at the track.
•  Is a two-time All-Star Showdown participant and finished third in 2009.
•  Is the sixth-ranked driver on the David Smith Motorsports Scouting Network blackboard.

George Brunnhoelzl III (East No. 36 Chevrolet)
•  Earned a guaranteed starting position in the All-Star Showdown by winning the 2009 NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour championship.
•  Championship season included five wins, six poles and 13 top fives in 14 races.
•  A third generation Modified driver that is originally from New York’s Long Island.
•  Has full-fendered experience in the USAR Pro Cup Series.

Sean Caisse (East No. 31 Chevrolet)
•  The 2006 and 2007 NKNPS-East championship runner-up.
•  Is a three-time All-Star Showdown participant … Best finish was second in 2006 … Established the event’s qualifying record in 2007.
•  NKNPS-East career includes seven wins, 12 poles and 24 top 10s in 39 starts.
•  Is a development driver for Richard Childress Racing.
•  Is ranked 11th NASCAR national series prospect list by the David Smith Motorsports Scouting Network.

Matt DiBenedetto (East No. 98 Toyota)
•  Earned a guaranteed starting position in the All-Star Showdown by winning two NKNPS-East races in 2009.
•  Recorded two wins, three poles and five top 10s in seven starts as a rookie in 2009.
•  Is a development driver for Joe Gibbs Racing … Will run a part-time NASCAR Nationwide Series schedule for JGR in 2010.
•  Is the top-ranked driver on the David Smith Motorsports Scouting Network blackboard.

David Gilliland (West No. 89 Toyota)
•  The 2005 All-Star Showdown winner.
•  Recorded three wins, four poles and 23 top 10s in 44 career NKNPS-West starts.
•  Finished third (2004) and fourth (2006) in points in his only two full-time NKNPS-West seasons.
•  Has two poles and four top 10s in 118 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series starts, a win and three top 10s in 39 NNS races and three NASCAR Camping World Truck Series appearances.

Paulie Harraka (West No. 12 Toyota)
•  Earned 2009 NKNPS-West Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors on the strength of a pole, two wins and eight top 10s in 13 outings.
•  Debuted in the series in 2008 with a pole and a top 10 in three starts.
•  Finished third in his first start at Irwindale during the 2009 NKNPS-West season.
•  A student at Duke University, he has penned a weekly blog for www.nascar.com and has a weekly spot on Sirius NASCAR Radio’s “The Morning Drive” show.

Eric Holmes (West No. 20 Toyota)
•  The 2006 and 2008 NKNPS-West titlist.
•  Was the 2009 championship runner-up with three wins and 11 top 10s.
•  Has recorded nine wins, 12 poles and 38 top 10s in 49 career NKNPS-West starts.
•  Has finished in the top 10 in each of his six NKNPS-West starts at Irwindale and has finished as the race runner-up three times.
•  Is a three-time All-Star Showdown participant with a best finish of seventh in 2007 … Gained a win at the All-Star Showdown in 2004 in the former NASCAR Elite Division.

Matt Kobyluck (East No. 40 Chevrolet)
•  The 2008 NKNPS-East champion.
•  Won the All-Star Showdown following the 2006 and 2008 seasons … Is the only driver to start each of the first six All-Star Showdowns … Leads all drivers in All-Star Showdown history with five top-five finishes.
•  Finished sixth in the 2009 standings with seven top 10s.
•  NKNPS-East career includes 16 wins, nine poles and 91 top 10s in 168 starts.

Joey Logano (East No. 25 Toyota)
•  The 2007 NKNPS-East champion and All-Star Showdown winner.
•  Earned 2009 NSCS Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors with a win and seven top fives … Became the youngest race winner in NSCS history with his June win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
•  Has six wins and 30 top 10s in 41 career NNS starts.

Eddie MacDonald (East No. 71 Chevrolet)
•  The 2009 NKNPS-East championship runner-up.
•  Recorded a win, two poles and a series-high 10 top 10s in 11 races in 2009.
•  NKNPS-East career includes six wins and 49 top 10s in 121 starts.
•  Is a five-time All-Star Showdown participant with a best finish of fifth in 2007.

David Mayhew (West No. 17 Chevrolet)
•  Finished sixth in the 2009 NKNPS-West standings with a pair of wins, three poles and eight top 10s as he started 12 of 13 races.
•  Has 20 top 10s in 32 career NKNPS-West starts, including three top 10s in four appearances at Irwindale.
•  Made NKNPS-East debut in 2009 with starts in the September New Hampshire Motor Speedway race and the season finale at Dover International Speedway … Led laps in both races.
•  Has finished 10th in both of his All-Star Showdown appearances (2007, 2009).

Steve Park (East No. 35 Chevrolet)
•  Finished fifth in NKNPS-East points with a win, his first career pole and seven top 10s.
•  NKNPS-East career includes three wins and 23 top 10s in 39 starts.
•  Also has wins in the NSCS, NNS, NCWTS and NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour.
•  Finished 23rd in his All-Star Showdown debut last January.

Greg Pursley (West No. 26 Ford)
•  Finished third in the 2009 NKNPS-West standings with a win, two poles and 11 top 10s.
•  Has 16 top 10s in 29 career NKNPS-West starts, including two in four Irwindale appearances.
•  Finished 21st in the 2007 NKNPS All-Star Showdown race, and failed to qualify in 2009.
•  Won the Super Late Model race in the 2007 All-Star Showdown.
•  Was the 2004 NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion while racing at Irwindale.

Andrew Ranger (West No. 19 Chevrolet)
•  Earned a guaranteed starting position in the All-Star Showdown by winning the 2009 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 championship … Also won the series title in 2007.
•  Has nine wins, five poles and 32 top 10s in 37 career NCATS starts.
•  Finished 39th in the 2007 All-Star Showdown in his only previous start at Irwindale.
•  Has six career NNS starts, with a best finish of third at Montreal in 2009.
•  Is the 21st-ranked driver on the David Smith Motorsports Scouting Network blackboard.

Ryan Truex (East No. 00 Toyota)
•  The 2009 NKNPS-East champion … Became just the second driver in series history, along with Joey Logano, to earn Sunoco Rookie of the Year honors and the championship in the same season.
•  Championship season was fueled by three wins, two poles and eight top 10s.
•  Is a development driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, where he was joined by his older brother, Martin Truex Jr., this offseason … Will run a part-time NNS schedule for MWR in 2010.
•  Is ranked 10th on the David Smith Motorsports Scouting Network blackboard.

Augie Vidovich (West No. 50 Chevrolet)
•  Has four career NKNPS-West starts.
•  Finished 17th in the 2009 All-Star Showdown after he won the “Open” race … Will pilot the car that earned last year’s pole with Chris Johnson behind the wheel.
•  Has four career NCWTS appearances and made 21 NNS starts in 2006.
•  The 2003 champion of the former NASCAR Southwest Tour.
•  Earned a win at the 2005 All-Star Showdown in the former NASCAR Elite Division