Logano Gets Redemption With 2009 All Star Victory
Sergio Pena Nearly Steals The Show
By Penny Aicardi
Joey Logano had his hands full with the young Sergio Pena Saturday night at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, California. Lap after lap in the 225-circuit affair, Pena challenged Logano - getting up alongside him and sometimes ahead of him using both the top and bottom groove. But it was his experience that prevailed and ultimately led the Sprint Cup Series driver to his second career Showdown victory in a car owned by 2006 East series champion Mike Olsen.
“It was fun I'll tell ya,” said Logano. “He gave me a run for my money that's for sure. I knew the whole race that if (Pena) ever got by me he would pull away. I thought it was really cool how he ran me clean. We won the race on restarts. Mike Olsen and the guys put together a real good piece for me. I had told myself that if I was in the top-five in the last 25 laps that I would have a shot at the win.”
For Logano, the win was a little bit of redemption for the 2009 edition of the race. Logano lost the win last year after contact with Peyton Sellers on the last lap. Logano crossed the line first, but was penalized for the contact and the win was given to Matt Kobyluck.
Pena led the first lap and a total 53 more laps in between, but the race belonged to Logano, who led a total of 171 laps behind the wheel of his No. 25 Home Depot Toyota. Pena kept the pressure on Logano the entire distance, but where Logano excelled was on the restarts - a total of 15 of them.
“We came out here just to have fun,” said Logano. “When I was 16 or 17 running the All Star race at least I had a whole season under my belt. Experience tonight was a big key for me - especially on the restarts. I use to suck at restarts, but when you start racing against people who are a lot better than you are you start figuring out those little things that you have to figure out to make yourself a better racecar driver. Running quick laps is half the battle - it's finding little things, like restarts, that wins races. It takes time, and it definitely paid off for me tonight.”
The race was so close between Logano and Pena that one might have thought that Logano could have been toying around a little bit with the Drive for Diversity driver. Not the case says the Home Depot driver.
“I was saving myself in the beginning of the race, but I was giving him everything I had. He had a really good racecar. He passed me one time and I thought we were done. I didn't think we had a shot.”
Pena earned his way into the Showdown on Thursday night in an exhibition race between four of Revolution Racing's drivers. Pena bested Ryan Gifford and two other drivers to earn the right to represent Revolution Racing in the Showdown. He got a lot of attention quickly when he went out in time trials and put his car on the pole.
His qualifying effort was certainly no fluke.
Pena, who raced Late Models in Virginia last season, held his own up front.
“Towards the end we had a really good car. We were second on all the restarts. I would have rather started on the pole for those restarts but it is what it is,” said Pena. “On that last restart I got passed by the 40 car and I got around him as soon as I could so that I could catch up with Joey. I just ran out of laps.”
Pena confers with Logano that experience won out at Irwindale Speedway Saturday night, but the lessons will long be remembered.
“I know I had a better car than Joey. I could see his wheels pulling to the right coming out of turn two. He just has a ton of experience and I definitely learned a whole lot from him. Throughout the corners my car would stick pretty good and he would have to back up a little bit. There was a ton of pressure out there but at the same time there was no pressure. It's just an experience I am never going to forget. I had a ton of fun out there tonight.”
The East Series had seven of the top-10 finishing cars. Matt Kobyluck, last year's winner and the only other driver to have two victories at the event in its seven year history, finished third.
Following Logano, Pena and Kobyluck in the top five was Joe Gibbs Racing development driver Matt DiBenedetto and Andrew Myers. Eric Holmes, David Mayhew, Eddie MacDonald, Paulie Harraka and Steve Park rounded out the top 10. A total of six East Series drivers finished in the top-10.
The K&N Pro Series East returns to action in March when they kick off the 2010 season at Greenville-Pickens Speedway.
NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN-NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN
Unofficial Results
Saturday
At Toyota Speedway at Irwindale
Irwindale, CA
Lap length: 0.5 miles
(Start position in parentheses)
1. (2) Joey Logano, Middletown, Conn., Toyota, 225 laps, 54.253 mph, $31,000.
2. (1) Sergio Pena, Winchester, Va., Chevrolet, 225, $23,000.
3. (14) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn., Chevrolet, 225, $22,550.
4. (11) Matt DiBenedetto, Grass Valley, Calif., Toyota, 225, $20,000.
5. (13) Andrew Myers, Newport Beach, Calif., Toyota, 225, $13,000.
6. (4) Eric Holmes, Escalon, Calif., Toyota, 225, $11,550.
7. (24) David Mayhew, Atascadero, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $10,000.
8. (17) Eddie MacDonald, Rowley, Mass., Chevrolet, 225, $14,500.
9. (16) Paulie Harraka, Wayne, N.J., Toyota, 225, $9,850.
10. (23) Steve Park, East Northport, N.Y., Chevrolet, 225, $13,750.
11. (10) Jason Bowles, Ontario, Calif., Ford, 225, $8,500.
12. (22) Jim Inglebright, Fairfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $8,250.
13. (6) Jeff Barkshire, Auburn, Wash., Dodge, 225, $6,500.
14. (36) Nick Joanides, Woodland Hills, Calif., Ford, 225, $10,250.
15. (26) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Quebec, Chevrolet, 225, $12,000.
16. (3) Greg Pursley, Newhall, Calif., Ford, 225, $6,800.
17. (30) Jason Patison, Corona, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $11,700.
18. (39) Troy Ermish, Fremont, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $6,600.
19. (38) Kyle Kelley, Huntington Beach, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $7,550.
20. (40) Justin Philpott, Tracy, Calif., Toyota, 225, $6,500.
21. (20) Brennan Newberry, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $5,400.
22. (29) Jack Sellers, Sacramento, Calif., Chevrolet, 225, $6,300.
23. (35) Michael Self, Park City, Utah, Chevrolet, 214, accident, $6,250.
24. (37) Candace Muzny, Oklahoma City, Okla., Chevrolet, 208, suspension, $6,200.
25. (34) Daryl Harr, Edmonton AB, Chevrolet, 207, $6,150.
26. (9) Ryan Truex, Mayetta, N.J., Toyota, 205, accident, $11,100.
27. (19) Jamie Dick, Albuquerque, N.M., Chevrolet, 204, accident, $6,100.
28. (8) Josh Combs, Sacramento, Calif., Ford, 200, $5,100.
29. (27) John Salemi, Nashua, N.H., Chevrolet, 195, rear end, $11,100.
30. (28) Moses Smith, Tempe, Ariz., Toyota, 186, accident, $6,100.
31. (33) Jonathon Gomez, Twin Falls, Idaho, Chevrolet, 185, accident, $6,100.
32. (12) Auggie Vidovich, Lakeside, Calif., Chevrolet, 177, accident, $5,000.
33. (31) Derek Ramstrom, W Boylston, Mass., Chevrolet, 144, accident, $11,000.
34. (18) Brett Thompson, Jerome, Idaho, Chevrolet, 144, accident, $6,000.
35. (21) Blake Koch, West Palm Beach, Fla., Chevrolet, 144, accident, $6,000.
36. (15) Brian Johnson, Jr., Machensey Park, Ill., Chevrolet, 144, oil leak, $5,000.
37. (5) Sean Caisse, Pelham, N.H., Chevrolet, 128, drive shaft, $5,000.
38. (7) David Gilliland, Riverside, Calif., Toyota, 99, electrical, $5,000.
39. (25) George Brunnhoelzl, III, W Babylon, N.Y., Chevrolet, 93, accident, $11,000.
40. (32) Johnathan Hale, Rio Linda, Calif., Chevrolet, 39, rear end, $6,000.
Joey Logano and Sergio Pena were the stars of the 2010 Showdown. (NASCAR Photos)
Joey Logano celebrates his Showdown victory. (NASCAR Photo)
