Sergio Pena wins pole for NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown

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Sergio Pena won the pole for the NASCAR K&N Pro Series portion of the Toyota All-Star Showdown in Irwindale. He posted the top qualifying time in a field that includes NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers Joey Logano and David Gilliland, West Series champion Jason Bowles and Ryan Truex, the younger brother of Sprint Cup driver Martin Truex Jr.

Pena, a NASCAR Drive for Diversity driver, said he even surprised himself by beating out some of the top drivers from the Cup Series.

“I couldn’t have asked for a better car tonight,” Pena said.

Logano, driver of the No. 20 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing in the Cup Series, qualified second. He won the Showdown race at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale in 2007.

“The car was awesome. I screwed up,” said Logano, who was selected the Sprint Cup Series rookie of the year in 2009. “I was happy. The car is good. Just have to tune on it a little bit.”

Greg Pursley, who won a NASCAR Whelen All-American national championship racing late models at Irwindale, qualified third.

“I’m really optimistic about tomorrow,” said Pursley, a graduate of Canyon High in Canyon Country.

Eric Holmes qualified fourth, followed by Sean Caisse in fifth.
Gilliland, a driver from Riverside who will be driving for BAM Racing in the Daytona 500, qualified seventh. Truex, the champion of the East Series, qualified ninth and Bowles qualified 10th.

-- Tim Haddock