The fortunes for Castrol Edge Dodge driver DJ Kennington did not appear to be promising for much of the day during round six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Auto Clearing Motor Speedway in Saskatoon, SK. After a struggle filled day the team changed motors in time for the evening race and claimed a fourth place finish, good enough to put them back in top of the championship fight.
Uncharacteristically the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge was not among the quickest cars during practice sessions, and when Kennington could only manage the 12th best effort during qualifying he knew something wasn’t right. “We were just missing something in the motor and I didn’t want to take a chance with it in the race” explained Kennington.
The move to swap engines after qualifying was bold because there were less than two hours until the green flag for the race and by rule Kennington would have to start the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge from the back of the field. “It still seemed like the right move, going with what we had was a bigger risk” stated Kennington
In what looked like a choreographed ballet the team had changed motors and fired up the new one in the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge in approximately 90 minutes.
Right from the start Kennington charged the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge forward and started gaining positions. Before long he was inside the top ten and then battling with the leaders. “We had the power that we needed to make that kind of run” said the driver.
In the closing laps Kennington pushed hard and for a time looked like he may even score a podium result, but in the end fell back to fourth at the finish. “This race was a total team effort” said the driver. “I always say I’ve got the best crew and in this race they showed it. To make the change and not just get the car in the race but to be that competitive, it shows why these guys are so good”.
Kennington has finished in the top ten in all six races this year and the fourth place result in Saskatoon puts him back on top of the championship standings.
DJ Kennington and the #17 Castrol Edge Dodge team are back in action next July 27th at Autodrome St. Eustache in St. Eustache, QC.
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 DJK Racing Fan Page on Facebook.
Photo: Ramesh Bayney
