Partridge Wins, Pastrana Qualifies At Showdown

Travis Pastrana's NASCAR career is off and running. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Michael Waltrip Racing)
RacinToday.com
Ryan Partridge won the biggest race of his young career, earning the win in the NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Super Late Model race Friday at the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown in Irwindale, Calif.
The 22-year-old Partridge, of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., started fifth on the 25-car grid and held off runner-up Alex Haase of Las Vegas, Nev., beating him to the line by .748 seconds.
Earlier in the day, Derek Thorn was the surprise winner of the Coors Light Pole Award for Saturday’s NASCAR K&N Pro Series race.
That race will mark the NASCAR debut of action-sports star Travis Pastrana. He qualified 20th.
The 24-year-old Thorn, from Lakeport, Calif., piloted the No. 44 Four Star Fruit/Superior Crankshaft Chevrolet to a fast lap of 18.334 seconds (98.178 mph) to best a stacked field of 46 entrants. His only previous K&N Pro Series experience came in 2008 with six starts in the East.
An Irwindale veteran, Greg Pursley finished as the second-fastest qualifier on the half mile with a quick circuit of 18.405 (97.800). Past Showdown pole winner Sean Caisse qualified third at 18.460 (97.508).
Brennan Newberry and Michael Self were fourth and fifth respectively. Max Gresham, Jason Fensler, Andrew Ranger, Jason Bowles and David Mayhew rounded out the top 10.
NASCAR Nationwide Series regular Steve Wallace qualified 16th.
Veteran Dale Quarterley took the checkered flag in the last event Friday night in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series 50-lap Last Chance Open. The race determined out the final six cars in Saturday’s 40-car field.
Quarterley, from Westfield, Mass., qualified 33rd in time trials earlier in the day, and had to race his way into the 225-lap feature. He started fourth in the last-chance qualifying race, but shot a gap left first row starters Johnny Borneman and Chad Boat, and led all 50 circuits.
Boat finished second, followed by Borneman, Ryan Philpott and Lucas Lasserre. Cole Cabrera crossed the line sixth to earn the 40th and last starting position for Saturday night.
Quarterley will join Matt Kobyluck and Borneman as the only drivers in this year’s race that also participated in the inaugural Showdown in 2003.
In the 75-lap Super Late Model race, Partridge led much of the event. He lost the lead briefly to Haase on a Lap 56 restart but regained the lead on Lap 64. Partridge was the Toyota Speedway track champion in 2010 in its Truck Division, starting the season with a track-record 10-straight wins, and also recorded one Super Late Model win.
Andy Allen finished third Friday, followed by Jason Fraser and Dan Moore in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Saturday’s racing will air live on SPEED, beginning at 10 p.m. ET. The coverage will be anchored by Rick Allen and Phil Parsons in the booth with Dick Berggren and Jim Tretow covering action in the pits. Sirius NASCAR Radio will also provide flag-to-flag coverage on Sirius XM Ch. 128 with Pat Patterson and past NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Champion Mike Skinner, also beginning at 10 p.m. ET.
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Starting lineup for NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN
Race Saturday at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale
Lap Length: 0.5 miles
1. (44) Derek Thorn, Lakeport, Calif., Chevrolet, 98.178
2. (26) Greg Pursley, Newhall, Calif., Ford, 97.800
3. (9) Sean Caisse, Pelham, N.H., Ford, 97.508
4. (39) Brennan Newberry, Bakersfield, Calif., Chevrolet, 97.429
5. (21) Michael Self, Park City, Utah, Chevrolet, 97.360
6. (03) Max Gresham, Griffin, Ga., Dodge, 97.345
7. (50) Jason Fensler, Wilton, Calif., Chevrolet, 97.229
8. (35) Andrew Ranger, Roxton Pond, Quebec, Chevrolet, 97.171
9. (75) Jason Bowles, Ontario, Calif., Toyota, 97.150
10. (19) David Mayhew, Atascadero, Calif., Chevrolet, 97.135
11. (20) Eric Holmes, Escalon, Calif., Toyota, 97.129
12. (86) Daniel Suarez, Monterrey, Mexico, Dodge, 96.983
13. (6) Darrell Wallace, Jr., Mobile, Ala., Toyota, 96.915
14. (22) Jonathon Gomez, Twin Falls, Idaho, Chevrolet, 96.842
15. (17) D.J. Kennington, St Thomas, Ontario, Toyota, 96.831
16. (66) Steve Wallace, Greensboro, N.C., Toyota, 96.790
17. (23) Spencer Gallagher, Las Vegas, Nev., Chevrolet, 96.764
18. (77) Andrew Myers, Newport Beach, Calif., Ford, 96.681
19. (27) Ruben Rovelo, Mexico City, Mexico, Dodge, 96.675
20. (99) Travis Pastrana, Annapolis, Md., Toyota, 96.453
21. (16) Moses Smith, Tempe, Ariz., Toyota, 96.442
22. (42) Taylor Cuzick, Tolleson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 96.411
23. (7) Travis Motley, Tucson, Ariz., Chevrolet, 96.375
24. (12) Paulie Harraka, Wayne, N.J., Toyota, 96.355
25. (2) German Quiroga, Mexico City, Mexico, Toyota, 96.318
26. (11) Auggie Vidovich, Lakeside, Calif., Chevrolet, 96.159
27. (06) Luis Martinez, Jr., Long Beach, Calif., Ford, Provisional
28. (40) Matt Kobyluck, Uncasville, Conn., Chevrolet, Provisional
29. (01) Sergio Pena, Winchester, Va., Ford, Provisional
30. (14) Travis Milburn, Eagle, Idaho, Chevrolet, Provisional
31. (38) Troy Ermish, Fremont, Calif., Chevrolet, Provisional
32. (70) Miguel Paludo, New Silver, Brazil, Ford, Provisional
33. (63) John Salemi, Nashua, N.H., Chevrolet, Provisional
34. (07) Greg Rayl, Roseville, Calif., Ford, Provisional
LINEUP FOR NASCAR K&N PRO SERIES 50-lap OPEN
35. (8) Johnny Borneman, Ramona, Calif., Ford, 96.195
36. (98) Chad Boat, Phoenix, Ariz., Chevrolet, 96.174
37. (52) Ryan Philpott, Tracy, Calif., Ford, 95.882
38. (32) Dale Quarterley, Westfield, Mass., Chevrolet, 95.806
39. (53) Cole Cabrera, Exeter, Calif., Chevrolet, 95.400
40. (81) Lucas Lasserre, Pau, France, Chevrolet, 95.359
41. (51) Carlos Viera, Livingston, Calif., Toyota, 95.062
42. (62) Taylor Barton, Las Vegas, Nev., Ford, 94.592
43. (5) Thomas Martin, Auburn, Calif., Chevrolet, 94.543
44. (55) Justin Funkhouser, Paradise, Calif., Chevrolet, 93.965
45. (72) Josh Reaume, Redlands, Calif., Chevrolet, 92.583
46. (15) Jack Sellers, Sacramento, Calif., Chevrolet, 88.906
* Denotes Rookie of the Year Contender
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