(By NASCAR Wire Service)
Posted: Saturday,January 29th, 2011
IRWINDALE, Calif. — The NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown has helped launch the careers of Sprint Cup Series drivers David Gilliland and Joey Logano. Ricky Carmichael, Austin Dillon, Brian Ickler and Ryan Truex have tested their NASCAR skills in the Showdown with varying degrees of success.
Derek Thorn won the pole Friday night for Saturday’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series race at Toyota Speedway and hopes his success will garner a little attention.
IRWINDALE, CA - JANUARY 28: during the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on January 28, 2011 in Irwindale, California. (Photo by Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Thorn put his car on the pole against a talented field of drivers that included Steve Wallace from the Nationwide Series and action sports star Travis Pastrana.
“It hasn’t set in yet,” Thorn said. “We’re sitting atop a pretty big heap. I’m really happy. It’s way better than we ever thought we’d be.”
Wallace will start 16th in the 225-lap Showdown. Pastrana will start 20th. Sergio Pena, who won the pole for last year’s Showdown and finished second to Logano, posted the slowest qualifying time of the 46 drivers entered in the race.
Thorn’s team brought one car to the Showdown, but it was enough. His time was 18.334 seconds on the half-mile oval. He said starting out front definitely will be an advantage because he will be able to stay out of trouble at the start of the race.
“Where we’re starting is fortunate,” said Thorn, of Lakeport, Calif. “We’re up front with a lot of great drivers. To be where we’re at and setting the pace … it’s a big thing to have the clean air out front. It’s nice. It’s nice to be out front.”
Greg Pursley, of Newhall, Calif., will start second. He won the pole for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series West race at Irwindale in July. The car his team brought to the Showdown has won two West Series poles but has never finished a race. He led the first 41 laps in July but cut a tire and had to withdraw midway through the race.
“I’m pretty happy with the car,” said Pursley, who won a NASCAR Whelen All-American national championship racing late models at Irwindale in 2004. “We decided we were going to come out here and not touch it. We ran a couple laps the first practice, just a couple laps the second practice. We’re excited about the race.”
Sean Caisse, who started five Nationwide races last year, will start third. He holds the qualifying record for the Showdown, 18.271 seconds in 2007.
“I gave it everything I could just to get track position,” said Caisse, of Pelham, N.H. “You have to have a good car for long runs to keep your track position.”
(Tim Haddock)
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