One of the best kept secrets in NASCAR is the annual Toyota All-Star Showdown held this past weekend at California's Irwindale Speedway.

It's a short track racing fan's dream and although the event has changed since its inception, it's still a great showcase for grassroots racing and the future stars of stock car racing.

The main event is now a showdown between what's known as the NASCAR Busch East Series and the NASCAR West Series, both featuring full-bodied stock cars that compete on the two regional tours of NASCAR.

More and more NEXTEL Cup operations are using these circuits as development training grounds, which have replaced the role the Busch Series used to fill.

This year's Showdown champ was young phenom Joey Lagano, who has been on a tear all year and has a bright future as part of the Joe Gibbs Racing operation.

The current trend of using established open wheel stars as Cup pilots has blocked the road for some of these young stars to work their way up to NASCAR's premier division. But this event, and the regional tours, still offer the opportunity to gain valuable experience and exposure.

Although NASCAR has helped take a bite out of the grassroots and local racing scene with more Saturday night races, this event and the Grand National series concept are assets.

Let's hope it grows and that the young and talented drivers who made their mark this year have a chance to work their way to the top very soon.