Showdown: Qualifying races notes

McKEAN, LAWLER, ICKLER AND MYERS WIN FRIDAY'S NASCAR TOYOTA ALL-STAR SHOWDOWN

QUALIFYING RACES AT IRWINDALE SPEEDWAY

IRWINDALE, Calif. (Oct. 20, 2006) -- Eddy McKean and Ryan Lawler captured NASCAR AutoZone Elite Division qualifying races Friday on opening night of the $500,000 NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown at Irwindale Speedway, while Brian Ickler and Andrew Myers were victorious in the NASCAR Grand National Division qualifying events. The four Friday night winners will make up the front rows of Saturday night's feature races.

McKean came from 16th to overhaul Jim Pettit II on lap 38 to win the first 50-lap AutoZone Elite Division qualifying race. McKean worked Pettit high and low for a dozen laps before moving to the lead and pulling away to win by 1.275 seconds. Rip Michels, the AutoZone Elite Division, Southwest Series champion and Irwindale's all-time leading winner, advanced from the 20th and last starting position to challenge Pettit for second but fell a car length short. Southeast Series champion J.R. Norris was fourth after making an early pit stop and pole starter Josh Vadnais was fifth.

Ryan Lawler, who received his invitation to the Toyota All-Star Showdown as an alternate from the Southeast Series, dominated the second Elite Division qualifier from the outside of the front row. The young Texan led every lap and won by 0.95 seconds from Thomas Martin despite a caution period with six laps remaining. Midwest Series champion Tim Schendel raced from 19th to third, with Dusty Williams and Wilbur Bruce fourth and fifth. Lawler and teammate Norris gave the Richie Wauters Ford team two of the top eight starting positions in Saturday night's 125-lap main event.

After an early red flag period, Ickler seized control of the first Grand National Division qualifying race and drove away to win by 2.3 seconds from Justin Lofton as AutoZone West Series drivers swept the top five places. Ickler's teammate Peyton Sellers held of AutoZone West Series champion Eric Holmes for third, with Scott Gaylord completing the top five. Joey McCarthy's sixth place was the best Busch East Series performance.

Myers made it a qualifying night sweep for the AutoZone West Series by leading the second Grand National Division 50-lapper from start to finish. Johnny Borneman charged from fourth to second in the closing laps, 0.108 seconds behind, and Matt Kobyluck took advantage of a late caution flag to advance from sixth to third for the best Busch East Series performance of the night. AutoZone West Series derivers Tim Woods III and Mike David rounded out the top five.

Saturday's Toyota All-Star Showdown main event begins with the 125-lap AutoZone Elite Division race, followed by the 150-lap Grand National Division feature. The entire program will be telecast live by SPEED, starting at 7:00 p.m. Pacific time (10:00 p.m. Eastern time).

-credit: nascar