Changes to the Toyota All-Star Showdown

The next NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown will have more cars, more races and a new date.
The newly named Toyota Speedway at Irwindale will host the Showdown for the sixth year. Only this time it will be Jan. 23-24, 2009, instead of the traditional date, the second weekend in November. Additionally, the Showdown will consist of three races: one for the Camping World Series, one for Super Late Models and one for Late Models. Last year's race consisted of races for the old NASCAR Grand National Divisions and Super Late Models. The year before that, the Showdown had two races: one for Grand National cars and one for the Elite Division cars.
One track official said the new date for the Showdown means the auto racing season begins and ends at Irwindale. The Showdown kicks off the season in January and the USAC Turkey Night Grand Prix, run on Thanksgiving night, ends the racing season.
The next Showdown will be broadcast on Speed and will be included in the network's coverage of the 24 Hours of Daytona, according to a NASCAR official.
More details of the Showdown are expected to be released Saturday.
Some of the other changes include adding a 150-lap Super Late Model race and a 75-lap Late Model race to the Showdown.
Canyon Country's Greg Pursley won the Super Late Model portion of the Showdown last year. David Gilliland, who drives the No. 38 Ford for Yates Racing in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, won the Grand National portion of the Showdown a couple years ago.