KENNINGTON & CASTROL DODGE TEAM FALL JUST SHORT IN CHAMPIONSHIP

September 24, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Team were riding the wave of momentum heading into the final NASCAR Canadian Tire Series event of the season, the Dodge Charger 250 at Kawartha Speedway. Kennington had posted a victory and a third place finish in back to back races and closed to within a handful of points in the championship standings headed to race number twelve.

The Castrol Crew continued their solid work and had the Castrol Dodge up among the quickest cars in practice staking their case to claim a championship. The luck of the draw would work against the team in qualifying. Kennington drew the first position for qualifying runs and although his time was decent, the track improved dramatically as more rubber was put down on the track. Kennington would start the Castrol Dodge from the 15th position. “It’s really tough when you go first in qualifying” said the driver. “There is such a difference in track conditions that you can’t do anything about”. Ever positive however Kennington added “but I know we’ll have a good car for the race”.

As usual the Castrol Driver was correct. As the green flag signaled the start of action Kennington had the Castrol Dodge working the way he wanted and was quickly inside the top-ten and ahead of the #27 car that he had to beat to have a shot at the championship. “I wasn’t pushing the car at all” said the driver. “I just wanted to take my time. I knew we could get to the front”.

The Castrol Dodge continued to move forward and the competition went in the opposite direction and improving the chances of Kennington to take over the lead. With all signs positive for the Castrol Team, they quickly changed. Without warning the Castrol Dodge began to slow on the race track, smoke clearly visible from underneath the car. “I knew it was bad right away” said the driver”.

Kennington was forced to bring the Castrol Dodge to pit road, the driver and team quickly determining the problem was terminal. Their night and championship hopes were finished. “We had a part failure in the Castrol Dodge and that did us in. I was only running about 7,200 RPM and not pushing the car too hard at all, but it’s just one of those things that bite you now and then”.

Despite the setback it was still a very impressive season for the Castrol Dodge team posting two victories and finishing second in the overall Championship. “It’s great for everybody” said Kennington. “Castrol and Dodge and everybody who helps us out with our program, we couldn’t do it without them. Congratulations to Dodge in winning the manufacturers cup and congratulations to the #27 team, we’ll be back next year though looking to take the title”.

DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge team will attend the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series year end awards banquet on Saturday, October 13th in Toronto to accept several awards recognizing their outstanding season. The inaugural twelve race NCATS schedule featured events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascar.ca

Photo Below: Castrol Dodge lined up for qualifying at Kawartha

Photo by Todd Lewis

CASTROL DODGE ON THE PODIUM AT RIVERSIDE

September 16, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Team continue to gain momentum and charge forward in the championship standings of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Kennington followed up his win a week ago with a podium position in round eleven of the series, The Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300, and closed to within striking distance of top spot in the overall standings.

As practice began at the beautiful high banked 1/3 mile oval located jut outside Antigonish, Nova Scotia the Castrol Dodge team showed their usual level of performance, placing near the top of the time sheets. Rain would delay qualifying and the race until the next day and despite qualifying with only the ninth best time the team was not worried. “We’ll be fine” said Kennington after time trials. “I know this car will run well in the race. His assessment was accurate.

As the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 got underway Kennington began to move the Castrol Dodge forward in the field. I’m never going to run too hard early but I never really had to push the car and we moved into the top-ten pretty quickly” said the driver.

Reaching the midpoint of the race and running up front Kennington took advantage of a caution period to make routine stops for fuel and right side tires. “The Castrol Crew really did a good job on those two stops” said the driver. “Things got a little confusing after that though”. The difficulties that DJ referred to was that after lap 150 he lost radio communication with the team.

The Castrol Dodge would continue to run with the front runners and also lead a lap to gain valuable bonus points. During another caution period Kennington wanted to stop for new left side rubber, but due to the radio difficulties the team wasn’t ready for the driver as he arrived on pit lane. Compounding problems Kennington overshot his pit box. With all the confusion no tires were changed but Kennington did return to the fight within striking distance.

As the laps ticked away the Castrol Dodge was consistently fast, but not quite quick enough to gain any more ground on the leaders. DJ would bring the Castrol Dodge home with his second podium finish in as many weeks, and series best eighth top five finish of the season. “I would have liked to have new left side tires” he said afterwards “then I think we might have had something for those guys, but we’ll take this finish, it sure sets up a great points battle for next week”.

With back to back podium finishes, Kennington has gained nearly 100 points on the overall championship leader and now sits second, only 41 points behind top spot with one event left.

The showdown for the championship will take place in the final race of the season for the NASCAR Canadian Tire series, The Dodge Dealers of Ontario Dodge Charger 250 this coming Sunday, September 23rd at Kawartha Speedway. The twelve race NCATS schedule features events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascar.ca

Photos Below: DJ Kennington (right) accepts his third place trophy at Riverside Speedway

Photo by Todd Lewis

KENNINGTON SCORES SECOND WIN OF THE SEASON IN CASTROL DODGE

September 9, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Team returned to Barrie Speedway for round ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series racing season seeking to make it a clean sweep at the 1/3 mile track. Kennington and the Castrol Crew would claim the win in story book fashion and also move into second spot in the overall championship.

DJ Kennington’s racing weekend began Friday running the Busch Series event at Richmond, Virginia scoring a 36th place finish. He then raced to catch a flight from Raleigh, North Carolina to Toronto and hustled to Barrie in time for the Drivers meeting. While Kennington made his way to the track, the rest of the Castrol team was preparing the car for technical inspection and qualifying.

Having won at Barrie earlier in the season gave them an excellent starting point. DJ would post the seventh quickest qualifying time and line up on the inside of row four. “The car was a little bit looser than I wanted during qualifying, but thought we’d be alright during the race” said the driver.

As the green waved on the 300 lap event Kennington maneuvered the Castrol Dodge to run among the leaders with a very consistent pace. That job became increasingly more difficult during the middle portion of the race.

As the laps ticked away Kennington noticed the gas peddle of the Castrol Dodge was not returning to its normal position when he left off the throttle and he was having to pull the pedal back with his foot. This was not a viable option for the duration of the race. During a caution period the team passed a bungee cord through the window to the driver who managed to loop it around the gas peddle and onto the steering wheel.

The makeshift repair created enough resistance that Kennington could now compete.

DJ would take the Castrol Dodge into the lead for the first time on lap 240. Though he would battle to maintain his lead on late restarts, Kennington would not be denied. With his improvised repairs holding, Kennington was able to hold off the competition and claim his second win of the season in the Castrol Dodge. “I just can’t thank my guys enough for this one, I wasn’t here for tech and they got the car ready. It’s just great for everybody that supports us, Castrol, and Dodge. I’m happy my dad is here for this one, I had to call him after I won earlier this year. I’m pretty tired but I feel pretty good getting this win”. With the victory Kennington leaps into second spot in the overall series championship with two events remaining.

You can watch DJ Kennington’s thrilling victory at Barrie Speedway this Saturday at 11:30AM Eastern time on TSN.

The next scheduled race for the NASCAR Canadian Tire series is the Atlantic Dodge Dealers 300 this coming Saturday night at Riverside Speedway in Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The twelve race NCATS schedule features events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascar.ca

Photos Below: 1. DJ Kennington holds the key to their win at Barrie, a bungee cord. 2. Kennington poses with the Castrol Crew in Victory Lane

 

 

 

 

KENNINGTON PUTS CASTROL DODGE ON PODIUM AT CAYUGA

September 2, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Team prepared for the final third of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series racing season with the intent of putting on a charge for the championship title. The team made a great step forward collecting a podium position this past weekend at Cayuga Speedway.

DJ Kennington also brought along a little help this weekend with veteran racer Randy McDonald behind the wheel of another Castrol Dodge sporting the number 71. Kennington has run several Busch series events already this year in McDonald’s prepared car and plans to take part in several others. “Randy is very good at getting a handle on the cars performance quickly and it helped us out for sure” said Kennington. “And hey I guess I owed him after he put me in the Busch car so much this season” he joked.

The Castrol Dodge was quick right from the first practice session at the 5/8 mile oval located near Hamilton, Ontario. Kennington would post the third quickest qualifying time and line up the Castrol Dodge on the inside of row two for the main event.

Following an early incident that collected several top cars Kennington found himself at the front of the field. “We were on the pole for the first race of the year at this track and didn’t have the finish we wanted but the way the car felt early I thought we could really have something. As the laps ticked away and the hard fought competition continued the handling of the Castrol Dodge began to change. “I’m not sure exactly what it was, we thought at first maybe a flat spot on the tires, but the car developed a bad vibration in the middle part of the race” said Kennington.

The Castrol Team made their scheduled pit stop for fuel and tires and hoped to put the difficulties behind them. Unfortunately that wasn’t the case. “It didn’t really improve for a while and I was just hanging on during the middle part of the race” said the driver who fell out of the top-ten but stayed on the lead lap.

Fortunately for the Castrol Dodge team the problems began to subside in the latter stages of the race. “It’s kind of funny how it happened but the car definitely got better again later in the race and I was able to gain some spots” said Kennington who fought back and climbed into the top five.

Good fortune continued for the Castrol Dodge team as a last lap incident collected two of the front runners and allowed Kennington to leap ahead and score a third place finish. “It was a pretty strange night out there” he concluded. “We were good early, not so great in the middle and better at the end. I’m pretty happy winding up on the podium for all the people that support us. We couldn’t do any of this without Castrol and Dodge and everybody else who helps us out. My dad built a great motor that was strong all night”.

After nine races DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Team sit third in the overall championship standings.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series resumes action this coming Saturday night at Barrie Speedway. The twelve race NCATS schedule features events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascar.ca All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

Photos Below: DJ Kennington (left) on the podium with race winner Derek Lynch (middle) and second place finisher Andre Ranger (right)

CASTROL DODGE GETS CAUGHT UP IN OTHER DRIVERS TROUBLE AT TROIS RIVIERES

August 19, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Team came away disappointed at the last event due to a mechanical issue. Kennington and company were determined to return to top form during round eight at of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series at Trois Rivieres.

The Castrol Dodge Team began their weekend at the famed 10 turn street circuit looking to continue their strong season and establish a good starting spot for the main event during qualifying. Kennington would wheel the Castrol Dodge to the eleventh starting spot on the grid. “It wasn’t the qualifying we were hoping for but the car was consistent all through the session and we were happy about that” said Kennington.

Knowing from experience that this track can claim victims in a variety of ways Kennington began the 100km main event looking to stay in the hunt and pick up positions where a clear opportunity existed. “Off the start we were pretty good” he said. “The Castrol Dodge handled pretty much as we expected and I was able to gain a couple of positions and move into the top-ten which was nice”..

As hoped the Castrol Dodge posted consistent lap after lap and allowed Kennington to gain on the competitors ahead of him. Unfortunately as has been the case in the past for DJ it was other driver’s troubles that collected the Castrol Dodge. “I was just riding around we got hit from behind and that upset the car pretty bad. This track is so tight that it’s really hard to stay out of everybody’s trouble” said a disappointed driver.

Compounding the Castrol Dodge team’s problems further was the fact NASCAR officials ordered the team to pit lane to inspect the rear of the car that had sustained cosmetic body damage. “That really set us back said Car Chief Dave Whyte, I don’t know why they made that call I guess they were worried about something coming loose and falling on the race track”.

Undaunted by the setback Kennington began to put his years of racing experience to work moving the Castrol Dodge smartly around the track gaining positions. DJ would bring the battered car home with a twelfth place finish. “I guess it could have been worse, but still we finished outside the top-ten for the first time in six races and that’s a bit disappointing. But the points race is still really tight and we’ll be ready for Cayuga said Kennington.
”.
After eight races DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Team sit fifth in the overall championship standings.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series resumes action with four straight oval events to conclude the season beginning September 1st at Cayuga Speedway. The twelve race NCATS schedule features events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascar.ca All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

Photos Below: A battered Castrol Dodge following the race at Trois Rivieres

DJ KENNINGTON AND CASTROL DODGE STARVED OF GREAT FINISH

August 12, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Team were looking to continue the run of strong performances in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series and take another step toward the top of the championship standings as the second half of the season began at Mosport Speedway. Kennington and crew would be on track to challenge for the win, until a case of the hiccups struck.

Kennington and the Castrol Dodge were among the quickest cars during both practice sessions and a lot of heads were turned when DJ came up with the 11th fastest time for qualifying forcing him to start the 200 lap event mid pack. “We’ll be alright for the race” said Kennington. A point echoed by Car Chief Dave Whyte. “We took probably 4/10’s of speed out of the car because we know conditions are going to be much different for the race and this car is set up to race well”.

The Castrol Dodge Team strategy would play out exactly as they expected. Through the early part of the race Kennington would quickly move into the top-ten and only a handful of laps later DJ was in the top-five.

Even a stroke of bad luck during the scheduled pit stop of the Castrol Dodge would do little to slow their progress. “I think just about every wheel nut fell off as the guys put the tires on, but they recovered, and this cars was so strong it went right back to the front” said Kennington.

After efficiently moving up to run with the leaders Kennington began to pace himself knowing there were 200 laps racing of scheduled. “We like to have something left for the end of the race, that’s no secret” said Kennington. Following scheduled pit stops the Castrol Dodge was among the quickest on the track and running with the lead group of cars and looking to make their move toward the front.

Without any warning a problem with motor performance became apparent to the Castrol Dodge Driver. “I knew something wasn’t quite right” said Kennington. “The engine just seemed to have a miss and we began losing power. I just couldn’t stay up with the front guys” he stated.

Kennington would not only soldier to the finish line but also manage to keep the Castrol Dodge in a top-ten finishing position. “It’s not as bad as it could have been points wise but this one hurts” he said after the race. “We had a great car, things were playing out the way we hoped and we were going to the front. The really frustrating part is that we don’t know exactly what happened yet. It appears to be a fuel issue but I’m not sure exactly what. But we’ll find out, and we’ll be after it again next week.”

After seven races DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Team sit third in the overall championship standings.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series concludes the road racing portion of the schedule this coming weekend at the Grand Prix of Trois Rivieres. The twelve race NCATS schedule features events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascar.ca All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

Photos Below: 1) The Castrol Dodge lined up for qualifying at Mosport.

2) DJ Kennington & The Castrol Dodge always a popular attraction during the autograph session.

 

DJ KENNINGTON CHARGING UP THE POINT STANDINGS IN THE CASTROL DODGE

August 5, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Crew are gaining momentum as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season moves along. With his fourth straight top-five finish Kennington is beginning to make his move toward the top of the Championship standings.

Round number six of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule was the second straight road course event for the teams, this one on beautiful Ile Notre Dame in Montreal at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. This is a race course that is challenging for both driver and machinery. Kennington and the Castrol Dodge team were up to the challenge.

Right from the first practice sessions on the 4.3km circuit Kennington and the Castrol Dodge were among the top runners. “All my guys take a lot of pride in being prepared for every race” said Kennington. “We all work lots of hours to be ready and it makes things runs smoother during the weekend” he added.

Kennington start the 100km event from the sixth starting spot. As the green flag waved to begin 23 laps of racing Kennington was immediately looking for an opening to improve his position and was soon into the top five. “The car felt great all weekend and we didn’t abuse our equipment” he stated. “It’s easy to get a bit aggressive with the motor or the car set up but you run the risk of problems if you do”.

As other competitors experienced motor and gear problems the Castrol Dodge stayed strong throughout the entire event. In the closing laps Kennington pushed to try and overtake the #88 car to gain a podium position but fell just short. “Some of the guys were pretty aggressive out there today” said Kennington afterwards. “I would have liked to be on the podium for sure, but this Castrol Dodge finished the day with barely a mark on it, we’ve got another great points day in the championship. I’m pretty happy with our effort this weekend”.

After six races DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge team have moved up into second spot in the overall point standings.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series begins the second half of the season this Saturday, August 11th on the Mosport Speedway oval The twelve race NCATS schedule features events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascar.ca All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

OF NOTE: DJ Kennington also participated in the first ever NASCAR Busch Series race at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve this past weekend. Kennington would qualify 27th and moved into the top-fifteen before transmission problems would end his days early. “The car was a pleasure to drive” he said afterwards. “Consistent all day, that’s what you like to have. I really appreciate the support of Dwight Kennedy from Northern Provincial Pipeline and Krispy Kreme who came on board this weekend”.

DJ KENNINGTON TAKES FOURTH PLACE FINISH IN THE CASTROL DODGE

July 22, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Crew looked to continue with their strong consistent performance as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series retuned to road racing on the Edmonton City Centre Airport course. This very demanding 14 turn temporary circuit can be tough to tame. But Kennington and the Castrol Dodge team were up to the challenge.

Always meticulous in the preparation of their equipment, DJ Kennington was a top runner during the practice sessions in Edmonton. Having little trouble maintaining a pace that would have him near the top of the time sheets, Kennington elected to run only a handful of laps. “I didn’t see any sense in wearing out the car” he concluded. “(Car Chief) Dave Whyte and the guys had worked really hard on the Castrol Dodge to get us this good right out of the box and I wasn’t about to make more work for them”.

Kennington would start the 100km event from the eighth spot and as the green flag waved to begin the race DJ knew that there would be a battle right at the front, and some other challengers would pushing hard from behind. “I just wanted to run the race that was best for us and not worry about some of the other stuff” said Kennington afterwards. “I just wanted to make my moves at the right time”.

As was the case during practice Kennington was able to stay in touch with the top runners never falling outside the top-ten. “After we got to about half way was when I started to go a little harder” said the Castrol Dodge driver. Kennington had preserved his equipment for the late stages of the race and was able to gain positions. DJ Kennington would bring the Castrol Dodge home with a fourth place finish. That’s three straight top-five finishes for Kennington including a victory at Barrie Speedway.

“The car was very solid all afternoon” said the driver afterwards. “I wonder if I’d started a bit earlier if we might have had a chance at a podium position, but I’m pretty happy with how things are going. This trip was a good boost for all of the Castrol Crew.

After five races DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge team sit fourth in the overall point standings.

DJ KENNINGTON SCORES TOP-FIVE IN CASTROL DODGE

July 16, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Crew returned to Sun Valley Speedway just outside Vernon, BC looking to score another victory at the BC Dodge Dealers Dodge Avenger 300 as the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series began a swing through Western Canada. Kennington has been a winner at this beautiful ½ mile track in previous visits and scored other podium finishes as well. The weekend began with a solid qualifying effort putting the Castrol Dodge in the third starting position.

As the BC Dodge Dealers Dodge Avenger 300 began Kennington looked to find racing room and a comfortable pace for the long event. As other competitors jostled for position DJ and the Castrol Dodge did drop back several positions and caused concern for the crew and his fans. Kennington was quick to radio word to the team telling them “not to worry, we’ve got a fast race car”. DJ would demonstrate just how good the Castrol car was later on.

The Castrol Crew performed flawlessly during the first few pit stops of the grueling event getting tires, fuel and other service done in quick order to keep DJ running with the lead group of cars. A judgment ruling by NASCAR officials though would set the team back. During a pit stop Kennington was forced to maneuver around another competitor as he stopped for service. NASCAR penalized the team for being outside the pit box while service was completed. The Castrol Dodge team was forced also make another pit stop for loose lug nuts. The result, they were a lap down to the leaders.

Unfazed by the circumstances against them Kennington set out to keep the Castrol Dodge in contention. Slicing his way through the field with skill and precision, the fortunes of the team changed when a caution allowed the team to get their lap back. As the field returned to racing Kennington continued his aggressive passing and moving back into the top-ten. “We had a great race car all night, but it was some tough luck had got us down” he said afterwards.

Late race, take not prisoners racing as the finish neared had Kennington and the Castrol Dodge battling with the #9 Dodge. The two would make incidental contact, Kennington would continue, the other car crashed out. “It’s too bad for Mark (Dilley) said DJ afterwards who spoke with the driver after the race to explain his side of the circumstances. “We’ll never try to put people out deliberately, I feel bad his night ended early.

Kennington would continue his tenacious charge and claim a fifth place finish at the conclusion of the night. “From where we were in the middle of the race, I guess we’ll take it” he said.

After four races DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge team sit fourth in the overall point standings.

DJ KENNINGTON CLAIMS VICTORY IN CASTROL DODGE

July 2, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Crew had shown their speed through the first two rounds of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series racing season and claimed the first pole position in series history. And at one of the toughest tracks on the schedule, the challenging 1/3 mile oval at Barrie Speedway, Kennington and the Castrol Crew would score their first win of the season.

Kennington and the Castrol Dodge showed their speed with quick practice times and the second quickest qualifying lap. Lined up on the outside of row one, Kennington seized his opportunity as soon as the green flag dropped on the Mopar 300. The Castrol Dodge would show the way through the first 72 laps of the event. “The car felt great and as usual my dad (Doug Kennington) gave me a great motor to work with”.

However there was cause for concern by the Castrol Crew. “Everybody could see out the back of the car there was a little bit of smoke. I talked it over with Car Chief Dave Whyte and we hoped that we’d just over filled the fluid level in the rear end. The smoke disappeared and with clear race track ahead of him Kennington was able to do the same. But at Barrie Speedway lap traffic is never far away.

“The guys gave me great service and everything was going pretty well all night for us” said the Castrol Dodge driver. “But with all the cautions late in the race things were pretty bunched up. Kennington and the #4 car would battle for the lead much of the night. Over the last half of the race the two drivers would swap the lead six times providing a thrilling finish with Kennington and the Castrol Dodge coming out on top”.

“What a great night” exclaimed an excited driver afterward. “This car was so strong, I have to thank Castrol and everybody that helps us out all year long, our success is not possible without all they do to support us.” I have to say that racing against that #4 car was a lot of fun. We had a coming together last year at this track and tonight it was two guys racing hard out there I want to thank him for racing us clean the whole way”.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series resumes with round four of the season in Western Canada at Sun Valley Speedway just outside Vernon, BC. The twelve race schedule features events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascar.ca All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

Photo: DJ Kennington celebrates victory at Barrie Speedway with the Castrol Crew

KENNINGTON SCORES TOP FIVE FINISH IN CASTROL DODGE AT MOSPORT

June 18, 2007. DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Crew returned to action in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series with round two taking place this past weekend at the famed Mosport International Raceway road course. Fast during all sessions, Kennington would claim a top-five finish in the race on Sunday.

Knowing that the team had a fast race car in round one of the series at Cayuga and not getting the finish they deserved, Kennington and the Castrol Dodge team were determined not to let that happen again. For the second straight race the Castrol Dodge was a fast car and DJ claimed the third starting spot for the 200km race. “This car was really good right from the start of the weekend. We made a few minor adjustments, and when we put new tires on for qualifying we picked up over a second and a half on our laps times, it all worked out really well”. The team would continue their solid weekend during the race.

Kennington was cautious on his approach to the start of the race. “The two guys in the first row I knew were going to fight hard for the lead in the first few corners so I wanted to make sure nothing happened and we’d start to settle into a rhythm” said the driver. As the race began to settle in Kennington was right among the front runners battling for position.

Pit stops began around the mid point of the race and the Castrol Crew performed as usual with quick efficient service changing four tires and fuel that would take the Castrol Dodge to the finish. “The car really felt good all afternoon” said Kennington. “We didn’t make any changes just got back out there after our stop.

With a fast, well handling race car Kennington was again able to stay with the lead group of cars and fight for position. When it was over the Castrol Dodge recorded a fifth place finish. “We needed that one” said a smiling DJ Kennington afterwards. “We ran great all day, we might not have had the fastest car but this finish has really got us back on track for the rest of the season”.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series resumes with round three of the season, The Mopar 300 on the Canada Day weekend at Barrie Speedway. The balance of the year will feature events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascar.ca All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

DJ KENNINGTON SNAGS POLE, BUT NIGHT ENDS EARLY FOR CASTROL DODGE

May 27, 2007. The first ever event in the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, The Dodge Dealers 200, at Cayuga Speedway started out perfectly for DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Crew, however a mechanical failure would bring their day to a premature end.

The Castrol Dodge team began the day with solid practice times and was among the quickest participants through the entire practice session. “The car felt good when we tested at Cayuga a couple of weeks ago, and it was solid again” said the Kennington.

Throwing down the gauntlet Kennington put in a blistering qualifying lap time of 20.785 seconds or an average speed of 108.251 mph to take pole position in the first event series event. “It was a great lap” smiled Kennington afterwards. “Everything hit just right and we had the starting position we wanted.”

As the green flag waved on the Dodge Dealers 200 Kennington lead the field of 23 cars into corner number one and emerged out front and looked to settle into an even pace early in the race. However after only one lap into the race things began to unravel for the Castrol Dodge team. “I knew something was wrong right away” said the Castrol Dodge driver. “The car was all over and I could barely hang on. Once we got to pit road and the guys had a look we knew how serious it was”.

Crew Chief Dave Whyte and the Castrol Crew diagnosed it was a broken trailing arm on the right rear of the car. Serious enough that the Castrol Car was pushed behind the pit wall for lengthy repairs. Showing their “no quit” attitude the team worked feverishly to make repairs and though they were many laps down Kennington did return briefly later in the race. “We just wanted to show everybody how fast this Castrol Dodge was said Kennington later. “It was just an unfortunate mechanical failure that really cost us a top finish in this first ever. Now we’re going to be hungrier than ever for the next race at Mosport, and track where we’ve had some success”.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series resumes with round two of the season on the Fathers Day weekend at Mosport International Raceway. The rest of the season will feature events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascarlocalracing.com All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

Captions for pictures: DJ Kennington signing autographs prior to the start of NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race at Cayuga. DJ Kennington’s Castrol Dodge on the starting grid for the Dodge Dealers 200

KENNINGTON & CASTROL CREW READY TO RACE!

May 23, 2007. With the first ever NASCAR Canadian Tire Series race now only days away, DJ Kennington and the Castrol Dodge Crew have nearly completed final preparations for the start of the season and have pronounced themselves ready to race.

The Castrol Dodge team first hit the track at Cayuga Speedway with other series competitors to complete an initial shake down the of the car and followed that up with the annual Mopar Day at Barrie Speedway where the Castrol Dodge was once again right up to speed. “We didn’t run a lot of laps at either of the test days, because we were very comfortable with how the car was performing” said driver DJ Kennington. “

Over the couple of days the Castrol Dodge team will go through their usual pre race checklist to make sure they are 100% ready for the first event of the season. “All of the big work is done” smiled Kennington. “Now we just make sure that all of the little things are taken care of. Our pit carts are fully stocked with spare parts, all the equipment is in proper working order and pack everything up for the weekend”.

The entire Castrol Dodge team is also excited to be part of this new racing series. “I think everybody has been waiting for this for a long time” said Kennington. “Now it’s finally here and you can feel the excitement. Castrol has been part of the best racing in Canada for a long time and we’re looking forward to running up front this season”.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series competition begins May 26th at Cayuga Speedway near Hamilton, Ontario with the Dodge Dealers 200 and will feature twelve events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at www.nascarlocalracing.com All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

Castrol Dodge Crew Chief Dave Whyte confers with DJ Kennington about the car at Barrie Speedway during Mopar Day test session.

 

 

 

 

 

 

DJ KENNINGTON & CASTROL CREW PREPARING FOR THE FIRST EVENT OF THE 2007 SEASON

May 14, 2007. With less than two weeks remaining until the first ever event of the new NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, The Dodge Dealers 200, DJ Kennington and dedicated team that works on the Castrol Dodge, are finalizing their preparations for the season.

The first laps of the season for the Castrol Dodge were at Cayuga Speedway this past weekend. The renowned 5/8 mile oval will also be the site of the opening event on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series schedule. Kennington and company were anxious to get the Castrol Dodge onto the track to see how larger tires would affect the performance of the car and also test a few motor changes that the team had been working on over the winter months.

With it being the first on track session for this racing year, there were no preconceived ideas of what they wanted to accomplish, but simply assess what kind of performance the Castrol Dodge was capable of. DJ Kennington and the team were all smiles afterwards.

“Having used this car for a couple of seasons we know the characteristics pretty well” said the driver of the Castrol Dodge. “That’s important because with some of the work we’ve done on the motor program we can use that baseline information to assess the changes. It’s easy to get off track when you make changes, but be having a very good starting point we’ll be able to stay away from that problem”.

Though this was the first on track action for the Castrol Dodge in preparation for the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season, DJ Kennington has been very busy racing at events in the NASCAR Busch Series. With the support of Dwight Kennedy and Northern Provincial Pipeline Kennington has already participated in two events and will appear in several other Busch series races this summer. “We’ve had some mixed results” smiled the easy going driver. “I was really pleased with our efforts at Phoenix, but unfortunately we got caught up in somebody else’s problems at Richmond and our race ended early.”

Asked what the biggest difference racing in the Busch Series is for him, Kennington quickly talks about the intensity of the competition. “The guys that race at that level are up on the wheel racing hard every single lap, they don’t care about wearing out equipment, and they go hard all the time. It’s so great to have this opportunity with Dwight and NPP and of course Randy McDonald to drive at these races, we learn a lot at every race we go to”.

The NASCAR Canadian Tire series competition begins May 26th at Cayuga Speedway near Hamilton, Ontario with the Dodge Dealers 200 and will feature twelve events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at the soon to be launched website www.nascarcanadiantireseries.com All twelve races of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will also be broadcast on TSN.

Caption for picture below: DJ Kennington heads out for some hot laps at the recent NASCAR Canadian Tire Series test at Cayuga Speedway.

CASTROL DODGE DRIVER DJ KENNINGTON EXCITED ABOUT THE NEW SEASON

April 3, 2007. A new season in a series with a new name have Castrol Dodge driver DJ Kennington revved and ready to go in 2007. At the conclusion of 2006 The CASCAR Super Series became the NASCAR Canadian Tire series, and instantly elevated Canadian stock car racing to a higher level.

With less than two months until the racing season gets underway in Canada Kennington, Crew Chief Dave Whyte and the rest of the Castrol Crew are beginning the meticulous preparations necessary for another successful year. “I’m spending a lot of time underneath race cars” joked Kennington. “We’ll be going over every piece of the cars and making sure we’re ready for opening day. “Not much has changed specification wise on these cars for the last couple of seasons so we know exactly what we’re looking for” he added.

The new NASCAR Canadian Tire series racing schedule will feature many of the same competitors and same racing venues. There will however be some other significant changes. Among them: a new and improved website, expanded marketing and promotion of the series, and all twelve races will be broadcast on TSN this season. “These improvements will give even great access to the races for our fans, and better exposure to Castrol and all of our sponsors” said Kennington.

In addition to his duties driving the Castrol Dodge at the twelve events on the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series DJ Kennington will continue to expand his racing horizons in the United States. Kennington participated in several Busch series events at the end of last season, and plans set to run several more races this year. “It’s a great opportunity that started with Randy McDonald giving me a chance to get into a car last summer. Then Dwight Kennedy from Northern Provincial Pipeline came on board and supported our efforts that really helped out. The first Busch race we’re heading to is in Phoenix at the end of April and then we’ll assess what the best options are the rest of the season. It’s great experience and also helps us in our program up here. We might still have an open weekend or two so I’m planning to run a couple of other Sportsman Series events too”.

NASCAR Canadian Tire series competition begins in May and will feature twelve events from coast to coast in Canada including stops at the best ovals in the Country such as Cayuga Speedway, the famous Mosport road course, along with temporary street circuits in Edmonton and Trois Rivieres. Look for more information all season at the soon to be launched website www.nascarcanadiantireseries.com

You can also look for DJ Kennington (pictured below alongside the #17 Castrol Dodge) at the upcoming Canadian Motorsports Expo at the Toronto Congress Centre. He will be available for autographs on Friday April 6th beginning at 6PM.