The All-Star Showdown is set for January 21 at California’s Irwindale Speedway, where the SRL National and SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will headline the action.
The Super Late Models will race for 200 laps with a mid-race break at lap 100 on the half-mile track. The SPEARS Manufacturing Modified Series presented by Lucas Oil will compete for 75 laps, and the SPEARS Pro Late Model Series presented by Sigma Performance Services will compete for 100 laps, with a halfway break on lap 50.
The event will be broadcast live on SPEED SPORT affiliate SPEARSRacing.TV.
Big Money
The Super Late Models will be racing for $25,000-to-win. The SPEARS Modified Division will compete for $5,000-to-win, while the SPEARS Pro Late Models will be gunning for $10,000.
The Super Late Models, of the SPEARS Southwest Tour / SRL National, will be competing for a feature purse of $72,350, plus SPEARS Manufacturing Frequent Flyer Bonuses that could add up to an additional $12,950.
Drivers To Watch
Dylan Zampa and Jake Bollman will both be performing double duty at the All-Star Showdown, with the Super as well as Pro Late Models. Zampa will be driving the No. 1 Super Late Model owned by Randy Hedrick and his families No. 92 in the Pro Late Models.
Jake Bollman with be racing for car owner and fellow competitor Scott Sanchez in his Super Late Model, and in the No. 71 Pro Late Model sponsored by PB Plumbing.
Holly Clark has entered both the Spears Pro Late Model as well as the Spears Modified Series events. She pulled double duty twice last season.
Five drivers from the state of Colorado have entered this weekend’s Super Late Model competition. 2021 All-Star Showdown third-place finisher Jace Hansen will look to improve upon that performance. Hansen was a winner in the SRL last season.
Three-time Colorado National Speedway Super Late Model champion Darren Robertson will make his first trip to Irwindale. Former ARCA Menards Pro Series West champion Chris Eggleston will also make the trip. Eggleston is a previous winner at Irwindale in the West Series.
Rocky Mountain Motorsports teammates Nickolas Cooper and Zach Morris will follow up their season finale trips to Irwindale. Cooper was the championship runner-up at Colorado National Speedway, the last two seasons, while Morris earned last season’s rookie of the year honors.
Hot, Hot, Hot
Jeremy Doss enters the event as the hottest driver in the Spears SRL Southwest Tour Series. Doss has won three of the last four events, including the season finale at Irwindale. It was Doss’ first win on the multi-groove half-mile and has the Upper Lake, Calif. driver brimming with confidence after the breakthrough event.
“After picking up the win at Irwindale, the last time we were there, gives me a lot of confidence going into the All-Star Showdown, Doss said. “I’m very excited to get the band back together and pick up where we left off.”
Shines at Showdowns
Bubba Pollard has shined at ‘Showdowns’ west of the Mississippi. He has two Winter Showdown wins at Kern County (Calif.) Raceway Park and a win at the Summer Showdown at Evergreen (Wash.) Speedway, in four combined starts.
Pollard will make his first start in the All-Star Showdown at Irwindale, seeking showdown win number four. It is an event he had had his eye on for several years.
“We have been back and forth on coming back to the Showdown now for years”, Pollard said. “I’ve been wanting to race at Irwindale ever since the race moved from Kern. We just never could find a place for it in our budget over the last few years.”
Spears Pro Late Models
A total of 35 Pro Late Models are entered for this weekend’s All-Star Showdown 100. Six different states and the province of Alberta, Canada are represented in the field.
Four drivers in the field have scored victories in the series, including Bradley Erickson, Nick Joanides, Dylan Zampa and Seth Wise.
Spears Modified Series
The season opener will see the Modifieds on the half-mile in the All-Star Showdown 75. Travis Thirkettle will look to defend last year’s win, after sweeping the Irwindale Speedway Modified events in 2022.
Keyword: SRL Notes: All-Star Showdown Kicks Off Season