‘Ontario, Calif., driver claims win in ‘Daytona 500 of short-track racing’
Bowles got the lead on the race’s final restart and held off DJ Kennington through the final eight laps. The win for Bowles, the 2009 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion, came in front of a sold-out crowd at NASCAR’s premier short-track event.
While he was a three-time winner at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.) in his NASCAR K&N Pro Series West career, Bowles’ best finish in the three previous starts in the ‘Daytona 500 of short-track racing’ was a third in 2009.
Kennington, the 2010 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series champion, drove to a runner-up finish in his debut at Irwindale. Jonathon Gomez finished third, while Luis Martinez Jr. and Johnny Borneman rounded out the top five.
Making his NASCAR debut, action sports star Travis Pastrana finished sixth, followed by Derek Thorn, Travis Motley, Moses Smith and NASCAR Nationwide Series driver Steve Wallace.
The race featured five lead changes among five drivers and was slowed by 11 cautions.
Coors Light Pole Award winner Thorn was on cruise control in the first segment, with a two-second lead as the competition caution came out for the first of two 10-minute breaks.
Out of the first break, Andrew Myers quickly became the dominant car. Myers built a five-second lead as the second break approached, but a punctured tire brought him to pit road on Lap 190, and he never recovered.
Paulie Harraka, who assumed the lead when Myers relinquished it, was running at the front on Lap 206 after the final break. Coming through Turn 4, Thorn made contact with the left rear of Harraka’s car, spinning him out of the lead. Thorn was penalized to the tail end for aggressive driving, while Bowles took over the lead.
Bowles’ first lead of the race was short-lived as Greg Pursley got past him on the ensuing restart. Pursley couldn’t make it last, however, as he broke down on Lap 217. From there, it was Bowles’ race to win.
Sean Woodside got his 2011 season off to a good start with a win the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Late Model race earlier in the evening at Irwindale. Woodside, from Saugus, Calif., held off former Toyota Speedway track champion Nick Joanides in a green-white-checkered finish for the victory. The 1999 NASCAR K&N Pro Series West champion took the lead on the first lap and remained out front the rest of the way.
NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN-NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN
NASCAR K&N Pro Series Unofficial Results At Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Irwindale, CA)
Lap length: 0.5 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (9) Jason Bowles, Ontario, Calif., Toyota, 225 laps, 61.401 mph, $30,000.
2. (15) D.J. Kennington, St Thomas, Ontario, Toyota, 225, $26,000.
3. (14) Jonathon Gomez, Twin Falls, Idaho, Chevrolet, 225, $17,000.
4. (27) Luis Martinez, Jr., Long Beach, Calif., Ford, 225, $16,250.
5. (37) Johnny Borneman, Ramona, Calif., Ford, 225, $16,000.
6. (20) Travis Pastrana, Annapolis, Md., Toyota, 225, $10,000.
7. (1) Derek Thorn, Lakeport, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $12,200.
8. (23) Travis Motley, Tucson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 225, $8,500.
9. (21) Moses Smith, Tempe, Ariz., Toyota, 225, $9,200.
10. (16) Steve Wallace, Greensboro, N.C., Toyota, 225, $7,750.
11. (12) Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico, Dodge, 225, $7,500.
12. (25) German Quiroga, Mexico City, Mexico, Toyota, 225, $13,250.
13. (18) Andrew Myers, Newport Beach, Calif., Ford, 225, $6,500.
14. (36) Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz., Chevrolet, 225, $6,250.
15. (39) Lucas Lasserre, Pau, France, Chevrolet, 225, $6,000.
16. (24) Paulie Harraka, Wayne, N.J., Toyota, 224, $6,800.
17. (38) Ryan Philpott, Tracy, Calif., Ford, 224, $5,700.
18. (22) Taylor Cuzick, Tolleson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 223, $5,600.
19. (30) Travis Milburn, Eagle, Idaho, Chevrolet, 223, $6,550.
20. (2) Greg Pursley, Newhall, Calif., Ford, 223, $6,500.
21. (5) Michael Self, Park City, Utah, Chevrolet, 222, $6,400.
22. (8) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Quebec, Chevrolet, 222, $11,300.
23. (28) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn., Chevrolet, 220, $11,850.
24. (35) Dale Quarterley, Westfield, Mass., Chevrolet, 213, accident, $5,200.
25. (31) Troy Ermish, Fremont, Calif., Chevrolet, 212, accident, $6,150.
26. (40) Cole Cabrera, Exeter, Calif., Chevrolet, 208, accident, $5,100.
27. (10) David Mayhew, Atascadero, Calif., Chevrolet, 205, accident, $6,100.
28. (7) Jason Fensler, Wilton, Calif., Chevrolet, 205, accident, $5,100.
29. (3) Sean Caisse, Pelham, N.H., Ford, 163, ignition, $5,100.
30. (19) Ruben Rovelo, Mexico City, Mexico, Dodge, 63, accident, $11,100.
31. (13) Darrell Wallace, Jr., Mobile, Ala., Toyota, 61, engine, $11,100.
32. (4) Brennan Newberry, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 52, accident, $5,000.
33. (17) Spencer Gallagher, Las Vegas, Nev., Chevrolet, 48, accident, $5,000.
34. (6) Max Gresham, Griffin, Ga., Dodge, 26, accident, $11,000.
35. (11) Eric Holmes, Escalon, Calif., Toyota, 26, accident, $6,000.
36. (34) Greg Rayl, Roseville, Calif., Ford, 18, engine, $6,000.
37. (33) John Salemi, Nashua, N.H., Chevrolet, 6, overheating, $11,000.
38. (26) Auggie Vidovich, Lakeside, Calif., Chevrolet, 3, engine, $6,000.
39. (29) Sergio Pena, Winchester, Va., Ford, 3, engine, $11,000.
40. (32) Miguel Paludo, New Silver, Brazil, Ford, 2, engine, $11,000.
Race Statistics
Time of Race: 1 hour 49 minutes 56 seconds
Margin of Victory: .501 seconds
Fastest Qualifier: D.Thorn (98.178 mph, 18.334 seconds)
Caution Flags: 11 for 53 laps.
Lead Changes: 5 among 5 drivers.
Lap Leaders: D. Thorn 1-102; A. Myers 103-191; P. Harraka 192-205; J. Bowles 206-210; G. Pursley 211-217; J. Bowles 218-225.
- Integrated Marketing Communications Press Release