Toyota All-Star Showdown - October 20 - 5th

Eddie 5th at the Toyota All-Star Showdown!
1) Joey Logano   2) Peyton Sellers   3) Mike Duncan
4) Matt Kobyluck   5) Eddie MacDonald
Great run and in a long, tough race. In the top seven all night long.
 
Eddie’s fifth place finish in the Toyota All-Star Showdown capped off a successful season even though the MacDonald Motorsports team ran only eight of the thirteen regular races on the schedule. Eddie posted one win, three top fives, and five top tens while having just one DNF. With this success in hand, Eddie, Rollie, and the team were confident a solid run was in the cards in Irwindale, California. They were right. With winning the BES race at Stafford Motor Speedway in his first race of the season, Eddie was guaranteed a spot in the Showdown but the team was determined that it was not a fluke that got them there.

Eddie qualified tenth with a speed of 96.785mph on the fast, high-banked oval with Eddie saying afterward, “We could have done better in qualifying but tenth was a good starting point. With the race going 250 laps, we knew we would be there at the end. Rollie sets the car up so perfectly, I just had to stay out of trouble so we could make adjustments at the 100 lap and 200 lap breaks.”

For the first 100 laps, Eddie made his way to seventh running comfortably with the lead pack. The crew made minor adjustments on the Grimm Construction/NEMO Chevy during the first segment break. For the next 100 laps, Eddie moved into the fifth position in the lead pack and trying to save the car for the final 50 laps. “The car was running great and we were definitely where we wanted to be. Running up front is key to getting a good finish here. We were really confident that we had a chance for the win, or a least a top three finish,” said Eddie after the race.

After Rollie and the crew made the final adjustments on the car during the second segment break, Eddie returned to the track in fifth place and headed to the front. A number of late race cautions slowed his momentum but the Rowley, Mass driver mounted one of his patented charges on the outside and moved into third with only a few laps remaining. However, on a restart with two laps remaining, Eddie had the door shut on him by the second place car.

“We really had a fast car at that point and I knew I had something for the leaders but when the car in front of me slowed I had to lift or I would have wrecked. We lost two positions because of that. Of course I wanted a better finish but those things happen in racing. We are satisfied with the fifth place finish, although it could have been better,” said Eddie afterwards.

“I am so proud of this team and for everything our sponsors and supporters have done this season. It was difficult not running the entire season but this finish really makes us fell good and confident of our chance next season. We hope to run the complete schedule next year and we are currently preparing cars and motors. We will be working hard this off-season in order to be even better next year.”

All About the All-Star Showdown
by Penny Aicardi

Irwindale Event is Coming Up
for Grand National Competitors
For the two series of NASCAR Grand National Division, the schedules is complete, the champions are crowned, and now it’s time to get serious. In serious I mean the Toyota All-Star Showdown; a post-season non-points race in which drivers from the NASCAR Busch East Series and the West Series vie for over $400,000 in posted awards ($27,000 to win) and the use of a Toyota Tundra for a year. But it’s not the same Toyota All-Star Showdown we’ve had the last four years. There are plenty of changes for the fifth running of the race, and we’re ready to bring you up to speed.
 
Invitations? Not for the select few anymore…
In the past, the Toyota All-Star Showdown was only for the top-15 drivers in the Grand National Division points – both East and West. You finished up there, and you were in the show. This year, many drivers will receive an invitation, but you had to earn a lock-in spot by means of a win during the regular season or a series title.
 
Therefore guaranteed starting positions were only reserved for Joey Logano, Eddie MacDonald, Sean Caisse, Matt Kobyluck, and Rogelio Lopez on the East Series side.

FULL SPEED 51 STORY HERE

Joey Logano Finishes Championship Rookie Year
With Showdown Victory

Source: NASCAR Public Relations

Irwindale, Calif. – Joey Logano capped off his rookie season in the NASCAR Grand National Division the same way he started it: In Victory Lane.

Logano, the 17-year-old Joe Gibbs Racing development driver, picked up his biggest victory Saturday night winning the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale (Calif.) Speedway.

He held off fellow Busch East driver Peyton Sellers, who turned 24 Saturday, following a green-white-checkered finish to the 250-lap event that has been dubbed the ‘Daytona 500 of short-track racing.’

"I just had a great race tonight," Logano said. "My crew, they picked it up a ton. To be able to run up front all night, this team is unbelievable. ... I just have a lot of confidence. That's what you have to have to win. We came here knowing we can win and that's what we did."

Two-time West Series champion Mike Duncan finished third in a frantic finish, edging defending race winner Matt Kobyluck at the start-finish line. Eddie McDonald followed closely in fifth.

Brian Ickler over overcame a mid-race mechanical problem that put him a lap down prior to the 200-lap break to drive his way back up to sixth. Eric Holmes, Mike Olsen, John Salemi, and David Mayhew rounded out the top 10.

Logano won six times during the Grand National regular season – including his first career start in the West Series at Phoenix International Raceway in April. He became the first rookie to win a NASCAR Busch East title and set the record as series’ youngest champion.

Finish Start Car # Driver Hometown Car Laps Money Won Reason Out
1 2 20 Joey Logano Middletown, Conn. Joe Gibbs Driven Chevrolet 250 $33,284  
2 9 83 Peyton Sellers Danville, Va. Strutmasters.com Chevrolet 250 $22,684  
3 3 9 Mike Duncan Bakersfield, Calif. Lucas Oil Chevrolet 250 $17,000  
4 6 40 Matt Kobyluck Uncasville, Conn. Mohegan Sun Chevrolet 250 $16,184  
5 10 48 Eddie MacDonald Rowley, Mass. N.E.M.O./Grimm Construction Chevrolet 250 $13,530  
6 5 16 Brian Ickler San Diego, Calif. NAPA Auto Parts Chevrolet 250 $12,000  
7 25 62 Eric Holmes Escalon, Calif. Paul Oil Co. Chevrolet 250 $8,000  
8 28 61 Mike Olsen N. Haverhill, N.H. Fadden Racing Chevrolet 250 $12,434  
9 33 63 John Salemi Nashua, N.H. Express Sign & Graphics Chevrolet 250 $14,684  
10 13 21 David Mayhew Atascadero, Calif. Golden Gate Petroleum Chevrolet 250 $9,250  
11 21 50 Eric Richardson Bakersfield, Calif. Green Frog Roasting Co. Toyota 250 $10,000  
12 19 22 Jason Bowles Ontario, Calif. Sunrise Ford Ford 250 $9,500  
13 16 03 Rogelio Lopez Aquascaliantes, Mexico Telmex/Lucas Oil Chevrolet 250 $10,684  
14 15 2 Mike David Modesto, Calif. Bennett Lane Winery Ford 250 $8,500  
15 11 8 Johnny Borneman Ramona, Calif. Twistex X Boots Ford 250 $8,000  
16 31 1 Jim Inglebright Fairfield, Calif. Jelly Belly Chevrolet 250 $8,300  
17 20 71 Daryl Harr St. Albert, AB Westworld Computers Chevrolet 250 $7,700  
18 29 52 Jamie Hayes Norlina, N.C. National Guard Chevrolet 250 $9,284  
19 18 93 Ben Walker Santa Clarita, Calif. CMJ Racing Ford 249 $4,550  
20 30 88 Alex Haase Las Vegas, Nev. Motorway Auto Group Chevrolet 248 $7,500  
21 36 77 Greg Pursley Newhall, Calif. Jan's Towing Ford 248 $5,400  
22 27 5 Eric Hardin Anaheim, Calif. Alta Dena Dairy Chevrolet 247 $7,300  
23 24 4 Andrew Myers Newport Beach, Calif. Toyota of Escondido Chevrolet 243 $5,250 Accident
24 8 81 Brett Thompson Jerome, Idaho Pets Best/Rich Thompson Trucking Chevrolet 243 $7,200 Accident
25 7 65 Ryan Foster Anderson, Calif. A&S Metals Chevrolet 242 $7,150  
26 38 6 Woody Pitkat Manchester, Conn. The Davidson Company Chevrolet 236 $6,254  
27 4 18 Marc Davis Mitchelville, Md. Joe Gibbs Driven Chevrolet 231 $8,784  
28 22 66 Justin Lofton Westmorland, Calif. Lofton Cattle Ford 214 $7,100  
29 35 96 Mike Johnson Salisbury, Mass. Johnson Lumber Ford 212 $8,630 Rear End
30 39 28 Chris Bristol Columbus, Ohio Aqua Health/Sears Mexico Chevrolet 208 $9,784  
31 40 12 Antonio Perez Mexico City, Mexico Raintree Vacation/Telcel Dodge 189 $9,734  
32 12 29 Nick Lynch Burley, Idaho Rockstar Energy Drink Dodge 176 $4,000 Accident
33 34 78 Moses Smith Tempe, Ariz. Hasa Pool Supplies Chevrolet 155 $7,000 Accident
34 23 54 Tim Woods III Chino Hills, Calif. Chino Hills Ford Ford 139 $4,000 Engine
35 37 25 Ryan Philpott Tracy, Calif. Pacific Motorsports Ford 129 $5,000 Suspension
36 1 44 Sean Caisse Pelham, N.H. Casella Waste Systems Chevrolet 74 $11,684 Accident
37 17 46 Jeff Barkshire Auburn, Wash. Centennial Batteries Dodge 60 $4,000 Suspension
38 14 3 Stephen Berry Huddleston, Va. Liberty University Chevrolet 45 $7,530 Accident
39 26 09 Andrew Ranger Roxton Pond, Quebec Tide/Wal-Mart Chevrolet 31 $7,530 Accident
40 32 37 Michelle Theriault Bristol, Conn. Glock Chevrolet 28 $8,684 Accident
               
Did Not Qualify              
  13 Todd Souza Aromas, Calif. Central Coast Manufacturing Chevrolet      
  01 Candace Muzny Oklahoma City, Okla. Bid4Prizes/Fox Ford      
  42 Rick Wall Irvine, Calif. Xiser.com Ford      
  57 David Ross Colton, Calif. E.R. Block Plumbing Chevrolet      
  90 Darrell Midgley Victoria, BC Midgley Racing Chevrolet      
  85 Thomas Martin Auburn, Calif. Strictly Toy-ondas Chevrolet      
  84 Jamie Dick Albuquerque, N.M. Motorway Auto Group of El Paso Chevrolet      
  04 Ryan Black Alto Loma, Calif. Thompson Plumbing Supply Ford      
  95 Jason Noll El Mirage, Ariz. LaFrance Motorsports Chevrolet      
  26 Scott Bouley Thomaston, Conn. Spyville.com Chevrolet      
  14 Jason Gilbert Dublin, Calif. Gilbert Motorsports Chevrolet

 

Media Contact: Jennifer MacDonald - jennymac29@hotmail.com