DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Following a season that saw him reach Victory Lane and finish fifth in the final standings, NASCAR Camping World Series East driver Steve Park is headed to the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, Jan. 29-30, in Toyota Speedway at Irwindale (Calif.).
Park, who returned to the Camping World Series East full-time in 2008 after competing for a decade in NASCAR’s national series, recorded seven top 10s in 11 outings in this past season to register his first top-five points effort. Park raced his way to Victory Lane in 2009 with his triumph at Adirondack International Speedway on Aug. 1 in Lowville, N.Y., which secured him a starting position in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown.
“It was great to get that win, get those seconds, finish fifth in the points and be competitive week-in and week-out,” Park said. “We really thought coming out of the box last year that we would be closer to where we were this year, and we weren’t, so we stepped up the program a little bit.”
The seventh running of the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown, which brings together the top racers from across North America for the ”Daytona 500 of short-track racing,” will be highlighted by the 225-lap Camping World Series all-star race. Each race winner during the 2009 Camping World Series East and Camping World Series West seasons is eligible for a protected starting spot, as are the 2009 champions from each of NASCAR’s six regional touring series and the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series national champion.
Park joins NASCAR Camping World Series champions Ryan Truex (East) and Jason Bowles (West), as well as two-time Showdown winner Matt Kobyluck, and NASCAR Camping World Series West driver Greg Pursley as early confirmed participants in the all-star race.
Park, originally from East Northport, N.Y., made his first appearance in Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in this past January’s Showdown, and came away impressed.
“I thought the track was awesome,” Park said. “It’s a great facility, and the race track itself is real racy. I think that’s why you hear a lot of guys talk about how great it is to race out there.”
Despite being relegated to a 23rd place finish in his inaugural event there, Park eagerly anticipates a return to Irwindale to compete against the elite competition.
“It’s a melting pot that brings the best of the East and the best of the West together, and shows the fans on SPEED just how competitive NASCAR racing is nationwide,” Park said.
In addition to eligible 2009 race winners and series champions, the starting lineup will be determined through time trials, limited provisionals for Camping World Series regulars, and the last-chance “Open” race that provides drivers one final chance to make the grid.
The 2010 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown schedule also includes 100-lap Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model and 75-lap Late Model races. Both nights of racing will air live on SPEED.