August 29, 2010. DJ Kennington driver of the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge looked to be in total control and on his way to a top-five finish in the early stages of round number ten of the NASCAR Canadian Tire series Sunday afternoon in Montreal. However a bump from behind changed the team’s fortunes.
Typical of the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge team they were among the front runners in practice and qualified fifth for the 100km feature event. “We’re not a road racing specialty team but we’re always ready and give everything we have for these races” said Kennington. “Our car was solid as usual” he added.
With the start of the race Kennington expected a tough battle amongst the front runners and looked for an opportunity to improve the position of the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge. Following an early caution flag Kennington was able to gain a spot following the race restart. “I had a little opening and was able to take advantage of it” said the driver.
Fortunes would change as the aggressive driving continued. The #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge was contacted from behind damaging the body panels and causing the fiberglass to rub against the tire. Kennington knew immediately however there were more serious issues to deal with. “I was on the radio to the team right away and told them we weren’t getting the same power out of the motor after that bump” he stated.
Taking advantage of another caution period Kennington brought the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge to pit road for service. Their initial hopes for a simple fix were quickly dashed and the team scrambled to diagnose the problem. At one point Kennington jumped out of the car to assist with repairs. “I just wanted to help any way I could” said the driver. “I’ve got a great team who all know their stuff but we wanted to get things fixed as soon as possible”.
After the fuel pump was replaced Kennington found himself many laps down in the race yet he would soldier the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge to the end of the race. “When we’re fighting for a championship every point counts” said Kennington. “The #84 car had a tough day too and we didn’t take as big a hit as it could have been in the point standings. Our job now is to work this hard at the final three races. They’re all on oval tracks and we’ve got three race wins on ovals this year so we’ll be looking for more.” #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge
Note: DJ Kennington also competed in the NASCAR Nationwide series race in Montreal. After starting thirtieth he brought the #24 car home with an outstanding eleventh place finish. “I’m really happy we had a good run in the Nationwide race. I have to thank Castrol Edge and Hitachi Power Tools for helping us out with sponsorship in that race and it was great to give them such a good run” he stated.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire series returns to action on Saturday September 11th at Barrie Speedway just outside Barrie, ON. All thirteen races of the series will be broadcast on TSN. Follow the progress of the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors Dodge all season on the newly redesigned website www.djkracing.ca plus you can follow their daily activities at www.twitter.com/djkracing. You’re also invited to join the Facebook Group DJK Racing.
Photo: DJ Kennington in the #17 Castrol Edge/Mahindra Tractors/Hitachi Tools Dodge at Montreal
Photos Credit: Sue Chisholm and www.racetimeradio.com
