Taylor Riddle in for Another Shot at the All-Star Showdown

Naches, WA Super Late Model star Tayler Riddle has submitted his entry for the $30,000-to-win “Sunrise Ford All-Star Showdown presented by the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame” weekend at Irwindale Speedway. The 2021 Spears Srl Southwest Tour Series season opener will be Riddle’s second attempt at the “Sunrise Ford All-Star Showdown 200” after participating in last season’s event. The opener found Riddle crossing the finish line third, but unfortunately, the car scaled with 0.2% to much left side weight, and he was unable to take home the $6,500 share of the purse. He will look for redemption on February 6th.

“We had a good run last year at the Showdown”, Riddle recalled. “It was a disappointing result in the end, but I look forward to going back this year and trying to do better!”

There is little doubt that Riddle will be a driver to keep an eye on after qualifying fourth last year and battling with the leaders, Derek Thorn, Preston Peltier and Linny White for the win. Riddle completed the event on the rear bumper of Peltier, after numerous attempts to dispatch the former PASS National Series Champion. He also qualified sixth in the $10,000-to-win “Retro Custom Metals 137” at the LVMS Bullring and Dirt Track. The event drew a SRL series record 42 Super Late Models, but Riddle ended up in the 17th  position, after suspension issues finished his night. Riddle’s only other 2020 start was at the Fall Classic at Yakima Speedway, where he finished fourth behind his brother Owen.

Riddle is not a stranger to big wins. He has five victories in the Northwest Super Late Model Series, in only 22 starts. He has a victory in the Chilly Willy 150, and scored a big win at the Summer Showdown at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, WA.  He was the winner of the prestigious Fall Classic at Yakima Speedway in 2015, while making his debut in the NASCAR ARCA Menard West Series, in 2017.  In that event, he finished fifth, after qualifying second at Evergreen Speedway.

He will now return to Irwindale, where he mixed it up with the best of the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series in an exciting event that Riddle played a big part of.

“I felt last year’s Showdown was an exciting race”, Riddle stated. “Irwindale always seems to promote great racing and was a lot of fun!”

With the success Riddle has had over the years, it takes the support of friends, family, sponsors and crew. Riddle is thankful for that support.

“I have to thank all my sponsors for giving me the opportunity to go to these races. Jim’s Hay, Don Riddle Excavating, Primary Electric and VanDoorn Racing Development for all their help! Also, I’d like to thank my crew guys for all their hard work as well as my family for their support.”

Thanks to Bob Bruncati and the West Coast Stock Car Hall of Fame, the 2021 “Sunrise Ford All-Star Showdown 200” will pay $30,000 to the winner of the 200-lap feature event at Irwindale Speedway. The Spears Pro Late Models presented by Sigma Performance Services, as well as the Spears Modified Series will join the action, racing for $15,000 and $5,000, respectively. An optional Test Day is slated for Thursday, with the official Practice Day getting underway on Friday.

Saturday will see the Super Late Models practice from 11:45 AM to 12:30 PM, with Qualifying for all divisions beginning at 2:30 PM. The Modifieds will go first followed by the Pro Late Models and Super Late Models. Opening Ceremonies are slated for 4:30 PM, with “B”-Main Events set for 5:00 PM. The “Pro Late Model Showdown 150”, “Modified All-Star Showdown 100”, and the “Sunrise Ford All-Star Showdown 200” will follow. The Modifieds and Pro Late Models are scheduled for the inner 1/3-mile oval, while the SPEARS SRL Southwest Tour Series will see action on the ½-mile.

For those unable to attend, the event will be shown live at www.SpearsRacing.TV and on a delayed basis on MAVTV.

Celebrating its twenty-first season in 2021, the SPEARS Southwest Tour Series is a regional stock car series competing on paved ovals in the southwestern portion of the U.S. “The SPEARS Southwest Tour Series…Where the Champions Race”.