July 15, 2012 – As the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series opened up the annual western Canadian swing, St. Thomas, ON driver DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team were looking to keep their hot streak intact at round number five at MotoPlex Speedway near Vernon, BC. After runner-up finishes at the track the last two seasons, Kennington claimed the victory, his third consecutive series win and extend his overall championship lead.
Right from the afternoon practice session the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge was strong. “The guys prepared a great car and we only made some minor adjustments to it,” said Kennington. Posting the third quickest qualifying time, they would begin the 300-lap feature event on the inside of row two.
In the early stages, Kennington waged a spirited battle for the lead with the #84 car. “It’s so much fun to race against J.R. Fitzpatrick,” said Kennington. “We’re good friends and we race really hard against each other, but also really clean, the way it should be.”
The #17 Castrol Edge Dodge would make a scheduled stop for fuel and right side tires at the midpoint of race shuffling them back in the field. “Just as I expected I was able to race back up to the front” stated Kennington. “It just handled so well all night long” he added.
Following their second scheduled stop, Kennington found himself further back than he’d anticipated. “We were actually outside the top ten but I still felt confident we had enough time to work our way back up front,” he said.
Kennington set about making his way forward and on lap 249 took over the race lead for good. In the final 50 laps Kennington pulled away from the competition and brought the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge across the finish line claiming his third consecutive victory.
“I just can’t believe the roll we’re on right now,” said a smiling Kennington. “I can’t thank everyone enough. Castrol Edge, Mahindra Tractors, Hitachi Tools, Bryan Cathcart who was spotting for me tonight. And my Dad making all that Mopar power in that Dodge, none of this would be possible without all they do.”
With the victory, Kennington extends his lead in the overall championship points standings to 23 over second place.
DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team are back in action next weekend as part of the Edmonton Indy weekend. Fans can watch the race from MotoPlex Speedway on TSN Sunday July 22 at 5 p.m. Eastern.
Race fans are encouraged to keep up to date with the latest team news in several ways. Race fans should bookmark the team website www.djkracing.ca and follow them on twitter, @djkracing and fans should also “like” the team Facebook Page DJK Racing.
Prepared by Todd Lewis & TL Sports & Entertainment
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