"It will showcase the best of both series," Kobyluck says. "You get to compete against the best drivers at our level. Toyota stepped up to the plate and put a big purse up for us, plus we get to go out to sunny California for a couple weeks, counting the Winston West finale at Fontana the week before." Reflecting on what he has learned from his West Coast forays in 2003, Kobyluck says, "There just might be a little more depth in our series. You've got to raise your game and give it your best."
Davenport, Iowa, driver Justin Diercks, the 1998 International Truck and Engine Corporation Midwest Series Rookie of the Year, says the event is attracting a lot of attention from his fellow NASCAR Elite Division competitors. "It's going to take the competition to a new level," Diercks says. "It's just like whoever wins the championship in any series, they have bragging rights throughout the winter and that's the way [this event] is going to be. For the whole next year, maybe the Featherlite Southwest Series is on top, or maybe it's the Kodak Southeast Series, or our series. It's a great opportunity for everyone in the touring series."
NASCAR, of course, is pleased with the opportunities the event presents. "It's no exaggeration that this is the biggest thing to ever happen to our regional touring series," says Chris Boals, NASCAR's director of regional touring. "The importance cannot be overstated, with live national television, a state-of-the-art facility in Irwindale Speedway, and the best regional racers coming together for the first time. It's a chance for race fans to see NASCAR's future stars on display, and for these drivers to get noticed like never before. It's just an incredible concept. It is unique in the history of NASCAR, and we cannot wait for the Toyota All-Star Showdown to begin."
No Points, But Glory GaloreThe Showdown is a nonpoints event. Drivers will be invited based on their finish in the final 2003 driver point standings in their respective series. Thirty Grand National teams (the top 15 from each series) and 40 Elite Division teams (the top 10 from each series) will make up the event's starting fields.
The event begins with practice on Thursday, November 6. Friday, teams return for another practice session and twin 50-lap qualifying races for both divisions. Two feature races will be held Saturday night, 100 laps for the Elite Division and 125 laps for the Grand National Division.
On this national stage, just a traditional race would be enough to satisfy most race fans. The event promises to be full of action and intrigue, as many of these drivers will compete against each other for the first time. As if that weren't enough competition, NASCAR has added a new twist with "team" race segments on Saturday night.
Basically, the opening team segments do not feature drivers versus drivers, but rather series versus series, which separates the Toyota All-Star Showdown from the typical all-star race.
The drivers from each respective series will be grouped together as teams during the first segment of Saturday's feature event. The Elite Division teams will compete for the opening 75 laps of their 100-lap feature. Each driver will be awarded points based on the running order after those opening 75 laps, and the team (or series) with the highest cumulative point total will share in a substantial cash bonus.
After a 10-minute break, the drivers-racing independently again-will return to the track for a 25-lap sprint to the checkered flag in traditional fashion. Caution laps will not count in the final 25-lap segment, and the race will end with a "green-white-checker" scenario, if necessary. The same format will be used for the 125-lap Grand National feature, with a 100-lap team segment to start things off for the Busch North and Winston West drivers.