News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 5 , 2001
D.J. Kennington – On Podium in ‘The Great Canadian Race 300’
For D.J. Kennington and his Castrol SYNTEC / Kleen Flo / Team Truck Centres /
Elgin Chrysler Intrepid arrived at Delaware Speedway on Friday September 28th
for ‘The Great Canadian Race 300’. Delaware is the facility where Kennington
cut his teeth, and he was looking for a victory in his latest homecoming.
Kennington also entered the final event of the Castrol Super Series fourth in
the point standings and looking to pick up a few positions.
Problems would arise early for the D.J.K. Racing Team as a motor expired in
practice. "We blew it up," explained D.J. "Al Turner loaned us another motor
for today, and we thank the Turner Motorsports Team for that. I guess that’s
what Team MOPAR is all about."
Kennington would roll off from 14th in his 100-lap qualifier, and he quickly
sprinted towards the front, moving to eighth by lap 25. "The car was awesome. I
love racing at night at Delaware, and especially when the car is that hooked
up. It makes my job a lot easier."
D.J. continued to roll, moving to sixth by the halfway mark, climbing into
third on lap 68, and by lap 75 was pressuring leader Mark Dilley. Kennington
moved to the high side and raced Dilley hard as the pair battled around the ½-
mile speedway side by side, Dilley low, D.J. high. Kennington couldn’t seem to
muster enough momentum to pull off the pass and he quickly tucked into line,
but going into turn three with 10 laps left D.J. blasted to the bottom, took
the lead, and skated away. "I knew I had a better car than Dilley, but he
wasn’t giving me any room on the bottom. I worked him high, and then he left
the bottom open for me one lap and that was all I needed."
Sunday’s 300-lap feature would be contested in front of over 12,000 fans, on a
sunny fall afternoon at Delaware, and Kennington would roll away from the third
spot on the grid. The Castrol SYNTEC machine was fast all afternoon, riding in
the top-five until pitting with the leaders on lap 138. "The car was great, and
I was just saving it for the end of the race. 300 laps is a long time, and you
have to be ready at the end."
The ‘Castrol Crew’ ripped off a tremendous stop and returned D.J. to action
eighth-place, but when the pit stops cycled through Kennington had moved to
second behind Don Thomson Jr. on a lap-180 restart. The # 17 would chase
Thomson until lap 214 when Don slowed on the backstretch with problems. D.J.
inherited the lead and pulled out to a comfortable lead before another of the
day’s 14 yellows would be shown, placing Peter Gibbons on his bumper. Gibbons
would pressure Kennington, while D.J. tried to keep his Intrepid stuck on the
bottom. Peter pulled alongside at one point and led lap 267 before Kennington
nosed out front again. "I had Gibbons behind me and was fast enough to keep him
behind me. I thought I could hold him off until the end."
On lap 275 Kennington was hustling into turn three where two cars were side by
side in front of him. Steve Robblee was high and Marv Wilder was low, and D.J.
guessed wrong. "I thought Steve was going to beat the # 44 through the corner,
I didn’t know he had a flat tire, and I got caught up behind him."
Gibbons struck, squeezing to the bottom and holding off D.J. in the closing
stages to win his third feature of the year. "I was fine out front, and it was
our race to win," explained D.J. afterwards. "I just picked the wrong guy to
follow. Pete would’ve never got by me if we were in clean track."
Gibbons, 2. D.J. Kennington, 3. Steckly, 4. Dilley, 5. Robbie Thompson.
Points (Official) -
1. Don Thomson Jr. (2092)
2. Kerry Micks (1976)
3. Al Turner (1968)
4. DJ Kennington (1935)
5.Dave Jacombs (1874).
The D.J.K. Racing Team would like to take this opportunity to thank Castrol
Super Series officials, their fellow competitors, team and series sponsors, and
most importantly the fans for a tremendous 2001 season.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or
maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or visit or www.geocities.com/17cascar, or
www.cascar.ca.
For information on the Official D.J. Kennington Fan Club visit
www.geocities.com/djkennington.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2001
D.J. Scores Eighth-Place Finish in First Molson Indy – Vancouver
D.J. Kennington and his Castrol SYNTEC / Kleen Flo / Team Truck Centres / Elgin
Chrysler Intrepid left Ontario for the two-race Western swing that started in
Calgary with the MOPAR Parts 300 on August 24th at Race City Speedway.
Kennington was fast off the trailer, practicing near the top of the speed
charts all day, and posting the fifth quickest lap in time trials.
That effort put D.J. third for his 100-lap qualifier. D.J. fell into line in
second, and then struck on lap 44, taking the lead. He would pace the field,
pulling out to a six-second advantage before the right front tire started to go
down 12 laps from the finish. Kerry Micks reeled in Kennington and took the
win, shuffling D.J. back to a second-place finish.
D.J. rolled off fifth for Sunday’s 300-lap feature, and quickly climbed to
third, but on lap 29 Kennington shot at victory was stopped as the motor
expired in # 17. "This is disappointing. We had a great car all weekend, I
didn’t even turn a bolt on the chassis. The car was just awesome. We had Friday
night’s race won and a flat tire gives it away. Then we’re the fastest car in
the final practice session, and would’ve had a great shot at winning today
before the motor let go."
Kennington was credited with a 27th-place finish. "This hurts us in the points,
but we’re far from done!"
David Whitlock took the lead from Don Thomson Jr. late in the race for the
second straight event and captured the MOPAR 300 checkered flag. Thomson led
from lap 164 until Whitlock made the winning pass on lap 253. Thomson held off
Neil Fair for second.
Whitlock, 2. Thomson, 3. Fair, 4. John Fitzpatrick, 5. Daryl Harr, 27. D.J.
Kennington
The following weekend the Castrol Super Series rolled into Vancouver for their
inaugural run at the Molson Indy – Vancouver.
Kennington qualified 10th during the first ½-hour session on Friday, and the
time would stand as the second session, Saturday morning, was run on a damp
track and no one could turn a quick lap.
Rolling off from the outside of row five, Kennington was determined to finish
the event, and let the results take care of themselves. "I was expecting
another Toronto course here, but it’s really different. It’s faster, and
tighter, and you have to shift a lot, so taking care of the car, and the
transmission is the main goal."
D.J.’s plan paid off as he raced to an eighth-place finish. "We’re pleased with
that result. The race was shortened a bit after an oil down, and we could’ve
had a shot at the top-five. Still, it was a pretty good road trip for us."
Al Turner started on the pole, but Kevin Dowler got the jump into turn one to
take the lead. It was short lived, as Turner passed Dowler on lap nine. Turner
held off Dowler to capture his second victory of the season, with Kerry Micks
joining the two on the podium.
Turner, 2. Dowler, 3. Micks, 4. Jim Lapcevich, 5. Peter Gibbons, 8. D.J.
Kennington
Following the Western swing Kennington has moved to fourth in points, but
trails third-place Turner by a considerable distance.
Points: 1. Thomson (1794 points) 2. Micks (1728), 3. Turner (1708), 4. D.J.
Kennington (1613), 5. Dowler (1600).
The final race of the season for the D.J.K. Racing Team will be September 28-30
at Delaware Speedway for ‘The Great Canadian Race’ 300 at the ½-mile oval.
Friday night activities will get underway with twin 100-lap qualifying races
that will pay full championship points, while Saturday’s card will feature the
last chance qualifying race, before Sunday’s 300-lap feature.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or
maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or visit www.geocities.com/17cascar, or
www.cascar.ca.
For information on the Official D.J. Kennington Fan Club visit
www.geocities.com/djkennington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 14, 2001
Late Trouble Costs Kennington Shot at Cayuga Win
Last Saturday night; Cayuga 2000 Speedway played host
to its first Castrol Super Series night race in quite
some time. The MAC Tools 250, race number nine of the
Castrol Super Series, saw D.J. Kennington and his
Castrol SYNTEC / Kleen Flo / Team Truck Centres /
Elgin Chrysler Intrepid unload at the track, the
23-year old, sitting fifth in points and looking for
win number two of the campaign.
In practice, Kennington was among the top of the
leaderboard, placing in the top-four during all three
sessions. "The car was good again right off the
trailer. We didn't really touch anything on the car
getting ready for qualifying."
In time trials D.J. was only able to turn the
ninth-fastest time, but less than 2/10ths of a second
off the pole. "The field is pretty tight. First to
19th were only separated by a half a second."
Kennington took the green from the inside of row five
and settled in to a comfortable pace. "I was just
saving my brakes and tires and trying to stay out of
trouble. I knew the car was good and this race is
long. I just wanted to stay in the race to make a run
at it in the last 50."
D.J. climbed to sixth by the time a yellow flew on
lap 116. It was within the pit window for the D.J.K.
Racing Team and # 17 came to pit road. The crew
changed two tires and added fuel, setting D.J. up for
a run to the end. He returned to the track ninth, but
by the 150 mark, he had climbed back up to fifth. The
leaders were battling hard for position and Kennington
was more than happy to wait for them to sort it out.
"They were beating and banging up there, and I really
didn't have heavy pressure from behind, so I just
enjoyed the show. I had the best seat in the house
for that one."
With a well-conserved mount D.J. started his charge
on lap 210, moving under Mark Dilley for fourth, only
to have the move erased as the yellow flew. He would
get Dilley shortly after, and was battling for third
just a few laps from the finish when a problem would
end his shot at victory. "Something broke in the
distributor. We only had six cylinders for the final
few laps. After that, I just tried to stay out of the
way and finish. We had a great shot at winning the
race. The car had lots left, and would've went to the
front. Heck! "We were faster than a few cars at the
end of the race with only six cylinders. We were good
enough to win, and that's what's so disappointing
about tonight."
Kennington was credited with an eighth-place finish.
The result leaves D.J. fifth in the chase for the
Castrol Cup, 122 points behind leader, Don Thomson Jr.
Thomson Jr. took the lead of the MAC Tools 250 from Al
Turner with just 25 circuits to go, but couldn't hold
off David Whitlock in the end. Whitlock, who had spun
90 laps earlier, used fresh rubber to his advantage,
pulling alongside Thomson coming off turn four to take
the white flag. Whitlock, a three-time Castrol Super
Series champions made the pass on the last lap to
capture his first feature win in almost four years.
1. Whitlock, 2. Thomson Jr., 3. Dilley, 4. Ron
Beauchamp Jr., 5. Turner, 8. D.J. Kennington.
The next event for D.J.K. Racing Team will be August
24-26 at Race City Speedway in Calgary for the MOPAR
300. The event is the first half of a Western
doubleheader that concludes Labour Day weekend in
Vancouver at the Molson Indy.
Don't forget to tune in to CTVSportsNet on Tuesday
August 14th at 8:00 p.m. (7:00 Pacific) for the
inaugural Budweiser 150 from Kawartha Speedway.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at
(519) 453-7156, or maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or
visit www.geocities.com/17cascar, or www.cascar.ca.
For information on 'The Official D.J. Kennington Fan
Club visit www.geocities.com/djkennington.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8, 2001
Kennington - Runner-Up Finish in Inaugural
Trois-Rivieres Race
D.J. Kennington and his Castrol SYNTEC / Kleen Flo /
Team Truck Centres / Elgin Chrysler Intrepid arrived
at Trois-Rivieres for the traditional race around the
streets of the Quebec city last weekend. Event number
eight of the 12-race Castrol Super Series would mark
the first visit to the track for the series as part of
the Grand Prix, in front of a crowd of over 40,000
spectators.
Kennington was quick in practice, and backed it up
with the fourth fastest time of the qualifying
sessions. "This place is real tight," explained D.J.
before the feature. "It has been real hard on
equipment, especially brakes, and you can't afford to
make a mistake, because the walls are very close to
the track."
The green flew Saturday afternoon for the Castrol
Super Series race and Kennington rolled off fourth.
"My plan was to save the car and be around at the end.
We had a good car all weekend and knew we could be a
factor."
D.J. showed patience after being shuffled back to
sixth on the opening lap. He slowly, worked his way
towards the front, climbing to fourth by the halfway
mark, and gaining third by lap 30.
Meanwhile Don Thomson had pulled out to a lead over
Peter Gibbons, who led Kennington by a comfortable
margin until a late caution changed the race. It
stacked the field up, but D.J. had a plan for the
restart with five laps to go. "I knew I didn't have
anything for Donnie, but I knew I could get Pete."
Kennington would try Gibbons, but at the same time,
Kerry Micks was challenging from behind.
Entering the last corner before the frontstraight on
the final lap, the Castrol SYNTEC machine looked
destined to finish third until Thomson's car broke.
Kennington avoided the slow car and raced to a
second-place finish, not having enough room to
challenge Gibbons. "Another second-place!" Exclaimed
Kennington on his fourth runner-up finish of the
season. "We have to stop finishing second and start
winning. Cayuga sounds like a good place to do that."
1. Gibbons, 2. D.J. Kennington, 3. Micks, 4. Dave
Jacombs, 5. Kelly Williams.
With the finish, Kennington remains fifth in points,
gaining ground on every one of the four in front of
him in the standings last weekend. He is now just 90
markers behind point leader Don Thomson Jr.
Points - 1. Thomson - 1172, 2. Micks - 1148, 3. Al
Turner - 1106, 4. Jacombs - 1094, 5. D.J. Kennington -
1082.
Event number nine of the 12-race Castrol Super Series
will be this Saturday night at Cayuga 2000 Speedway
for the MAC Tools 250. Kennington always runs well on
one of the Castrol Super Series' fastest ovals, and
posted his best career finish at the Hamilton -area
oval last season, running fourth..
Gates open at 3:00, while qualifying starts at 6:00.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at
(519) 453-7256, or maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or
visit www.geocities.com/17cascar, or www.cascar.ca.
For more information on the Official D.J. Kennington
Fan Club visit www.geocities.com/djkennington.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 31, 2001
Kennington Runner-Up at Ste. Eustache - Top-Five in
Points!
D.J. Kennington and his Castrol SYNTEC / Kleen Flo /
Team Truck Centres / Elgin Chrysler - Intrepid rolled
off the trailer at Ste. Eustache last Saturday night
for the Autopro Plus 150 seeking another solid finish
that would assist in his chase for the Castrol Cup.
It was the seventh race of the 12-event Castrol Super
Series.
Kennington was quick in practice, appearing near the
top of the leaderboard, and giving a preview of his
qualifying attempt. "We had the car great off the
trailer again," explained D.J. "All we really worked
on all day was the tire stagger."
During qualifying, Kennington was able to rip off the
sixth quickest lap, which would put him on the outside
of row three for the feature. Kennington spoke about
racing at Ste. Eustache, "I love this place. It's
flat and tight, but our team can always make a car
work here. We've had a lot of good runs here in the
past in both the Series and the Sportsman car. I just
love racing here!"
When the green dropped for the 150-lap feature
Kennington settled into line in seventh, getting in a
comfortable pace and even climbing up one spot, but on
lap 19 the 'Castrol Crew' was forced into action.
Kennington got in fluid left on the speedway in turn
three and backed his Intrepid into the fence.
"There's not a lot you can do about that. One minute
I'm going into the turn and the next I'm spinning."
The car was still drive-able and D.J. limped to pit
road. Everything checked out and Kennington returned
to the track, at the back of the pack.
He then put on a display of driving talent, passing
almost every car on the track over the next 50 laps to
find himself back inside the top-five just after
halfway. "The car was still a rocket after I hit the
wall. It was fast." D.J. passed Ron Beauchamp on lap
97 for fourth and moved to second when the leaders at
the time, Don Thomson Jr., and Neil Fair, both spun in
turn three. He trailed only Peter Gibbons with 30
laps to go. "I didn't have a whole lot left for
Pete," explained Kennington. "I used up pretty much
everything climbing through the field." Kennington
finished second, and was ecstatic with the result,
"The car is beat up, but we had a great run and this
should help us in the points. The car was awesome off
the trailer, and luckily we didn't break anything when
we hit the wall earlier."
1. Gibbons, 2. D.J. Kennington, 3. Thomson, 4.Kelly
Williams, 5. Dave Jacombs,
With the silver medal finish Kennington has moved
back in the thick of the championship hunt.
Kennington climbed to fifth in points and trails Dave
Jacombs for fourth by just 22 points. Kennington is
only 103 markers behind Don Thomson Jr., who is the
point leader.
The Castrol Super Series will be back in action this
weekend at the Grand Prix of Trois-Riveres. It will
be the inaugural race for the Castrol Super Series at
the event, which is one of the largest five races of
the year in Canada. The race will start at 1:40 PM on
Saturday afternoon.
Castrol Super Series action returns to CTVSportsNet
this week. July 31st is a Castrol Super Series TV
doubleheader in Ontario, as a CASCAR West event, the
Thrifty Foods 150, from Victoria, B.C. will air at
7:00 PM, followed by the Exide 250 from Mosport at
8:00 PM.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at
(519) 453-7256, maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or visit
www.geocities.com/17cascar, or www.cascar.ca
For information on the Official D.J. Kennington Fan
Club, visit www.geocities.com/djkennington.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 17, 2001
Kennington Finishes Seventh at Molson Indy – Now Top-Ten in Points
D.J. Kennington and his Castrol SYNTEC / Kleen Flo / Team Truck Centres / Elgin
Chrysler Intrepid arrived at the Molson Indy, July 13th, ready to compete in
race number six of the 12-event Castrol Super Series. Kennington has a good
track record at the facility, finishing fifth in the inaugural 1999 event and
posting a 10th-place finish last year after starting 38th on the tight concrete
lined track.
"We were decent in practice," explained Kennington following the hot lap
session. "We practiced in the top-ten, and knew the car would be good for
qualifying."
During Saturday morning’s ½-hour qualifying slot, an accident limited the
session to about 15 minutes. "There was a lot of traffic out there during
qualifying. All 42 cars were trying to get in good laps at once." D.J. was
still able to post the eighth-fastest time. The D.J.K. Racing Team did make on
change following qualifying as they installed a different rear gear in the # 17
Intrepid.
Kennington rolled off eighth in the 38-car field, on a Saturday that saw over
51,000 fans arrive at the C.N.E. grounds. He picked up three spots in the first
two laps, and was running fifth when the first yellow flew. Kennington would
run between fourth and sixth over the majority of the event, and was sitting
fourth, just one spot of the podium with three laps remaining. "The left front
tire started to go down. On an oval you might be able to live with it for three
20 second laps, but when you’re turning right more than left and the laps are
almost a minute and a half on a road course … I just held on the best I could."
D.J. raced to the checkers in seventh-place, even with the flat tire. The run
was also good enough to vault Kennington into the top-ten in points, but a
championship isn’t on D.J.’s mind right now, "I’m not to worried about the
points right now. We’re just trying to win races and the points will take care
of themselves."
Don Thomson Jr. got the jump on pole sitter Robin Buck twice during Molson Indy
restarts to take the lead, but both occasions were short lived as Buck was able
to fight back both times to retake the top spot. Buck would lead all but two
laps to win his second Castrol Super Series event at the Molson Indy in three
years, while Thomson held off a furious charge by Al Turner to finish second.
1. Buck, 2. Thomson Jr., 3. Turner, 7. D.J. Kennington.
The next event for the D.J.K. Racing Team will be race number seven of the 12-
event Castrol Super Series, on July 28th, in Ste. Eustache, Quebec. Kennington
has always run well at Ste. Eustache, posting two top-fives and three top-tens
in the past four events at the tight 4/10-mile track.
Points – 1. Turner – 864, 2. Thomson Jr. – 863, 3. Kerry Micks – 862, 4.
Beauchamp Jr. – 803, 5. Dave Jacombs – 802, 9. D.J. Kennington – 768.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or
maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or visit www.geocities.com/17cascar, or
www.cascar.ca. For information on the D.J. Kennington Fan Club visit
www.geocities.com/djkennington.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 3, 2001
Kennington – Laps Away From Top–Five at Kawartha
D.J. Kennington and his Castrol SYNTEC / Kleen Flo / Elgin Chrysler / Team
Truck Centres Intrepid arrived at Kawartha Downs Speedway last Sunday, July
first, prepared to battle in the inaugural Budweiser 150. The race was the
fifth event of the 12-race Castrol Super Series.
Practice was delayed slightly after raindrops hit the 3/8th-mile track, and
then the track was clear, the # 17 machine pulled off the third quickest lap of
the session. "The car wasn’t perfect," admitted D.J. after the session. "We
were working on the setup, adjusting the toe, and the sway bar. It should be
better for qualifying."
In time trials, Kennington was able to post the fifth fastest time of the
session. "We’re a little disappointed, but the track was really dirty. There is
a horse track around the stock car track and lots of dust blew onto the track
between practice and qualifying. We have a random draw for spots and we went
out right at the front. The first five or ten cars didn’t run as fast as they
practiced. That cost us a couple spots."
D.J. rolled off from the inside of row three and tucked into fifth position. He
would climb to fourth on one occasion, but was once again shuffled back to
fifth shortly after. Kennington was hounding fourth-place David Whitlock for
the entire second half of the race, but couldn’t muster enough speed to pass
the former champion. "I could run side by side, but the toughest part was to
get a good enough run to draw even with someone. You either have to have a much
better car, or wait for a mistake. Dave didn’t make many."
Kennington was still running fifth, and making a charge for fourth, late in the
race, when another car got into the Castrol SYNTEC Intrepid and spun him in
turn three. D.J. did a complete 360 and continued, but the incident left him
14th in the running order, and with little time left in the race. He did manage
to battle back, gaining four positions to wind up tenth. "We had another top-
five today, and I might have got in front of Whitlock for fourth, but I got hit
and spun. It was a bad deal, especially after how well we ran all day. We’ll
just have to get ready for the Indy!"
Pole sitter Mark Dilley paced the opening 13 laps before Don Thomson Jr. took
the top spot away. Thomson had his way with the rest of the field leading every
lap but one over the remainder of the Budweiser 150. The other leader was Peter
Gibbons, who could stick with Thomson, but only on short runs. Gibbons finished
second, with Mark Dilley edging out David Whitlock for the final podium
position.
1. Thomson, 2. Gibbons, 3. Dilley, 4. Whitlock, 5. Andy Farr, 10. D.J. Kennington.
The next event for the D.J.K. Racing Team will be the sixth race of the 12-race
Castrol Super Series, July 13-14 in Toronto at the Molson Indy. Kennington
finished 10th in last season’s mid-summer classic, after starting at the back
of the pack on the tight, twisting, trail through the streets of Toronto. D.J.
also posted a top-five finish in the inaugural event in 1999.
"We’ve gotten good enough on the road courses that we’re a threat to win every
time out. We proved that this year at Mosport."
With the finish at Kawartha, Kennington has moved to 12th in the Castrol Cup
chase.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or
maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or visit www.geocities.com/17cascar, or
www.cascar.ca.
For information on the D.J. Kennington Fan Club visit: www.geocities.com/djkennington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 26, 2001
Kennington Conquers Mosport Road Course
(Bowmanville, Ontario) – D.J. Kennington and his Castrol SYNTEC / Kleen Flo /
Team Truck Centre / Elgin Chrysler Intrepid arrived at Mosport International
Speedway prepared to do battle on the legendary road course. The Mosport 250
presented by Blue Streak was the fourth race on the 12-event Castrol Super
Series, with qualifying Saturday and the feature on Sunday, June 24th.
Kennington’s strategy in qualifying was different on the 2.5 mile road course
layout, as he explained, "I saw so many guys driving over their head in
qualifying trying to get good laps, that I decided to take my time and make
sure I brought the car home in one piece. This is a tough track to get around,
and you can wreck a car here very easily. We took three laps, and one was
pretty good, so we parked it and started to get ready for Sunday."
D.J. ran the fifth fastest lap of the timed qualifying session.
At 2:00 PM the green dropped and the Castrol SYNTEC machine rolled away from
the inside of row three. Kevin Dowler took command while Kennington followed
the duo of Al Turner and Don Thomson Jr. as they battled for third.
One by one the cars in front of D.J. faltered for one reason or another, but
the #17 car kept motoring, putting laps on the scoreboard and taking command of
the race on lap 31. The lead would be short as Kennington dove onto pit road
three laps later. "We didn’t really have a strategy for stopping other than the
first caution after lap 25. I was going down the backstretch on that lap and
thought, ‘we have a pretty good car today and I would hate to blow it by
running out of gas’. We were more than halfway so I radioed the guys and told
them I was coming."
The Castrol Crew whipped off a tremendous two-tire stop and gave D.J. enough
gas to make it to the finish. After making the stop under green D.J. would have
to wait for everyone else to cycle through their stops, putting him back in
front on lap 50 with a huge cushion.
His lead would evaporate when the races fourth yellow flew only laps from the
end, but on both that restart, and another shortly after, Kennington was able
to pull away and wrap up his third career Castrol Super Series feature win.
"We had a great car," explained D.J. afterwards. "We were good enough to win
and a few of the other top guys had trouble today."
Kennington was exhausted after the 250 km trek. "I’m whipped right now. This
has to be our most physically demanding race."
D.J. Kennington, 2. Jim Lapcevich, 3. Kerry Micks, 4. Dave Jacombs, 5. Turner,
Though the official standings haven’t been release yet, Kennington has
unofficially moved to 13th in the Castrol Super Series point standings, and is
still very much in the title picture.
The next event for the Castrol Crew will be next Sunday, July first, in the
inaugural Castrol Super Series event at Kawartha Downs Speedway.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or
maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or visit www.geocities.com/17cascar, or
www.cascar.ca.
For information on the Official D.J. Kennington Fan Club visit
www.geocities.com/djkennington.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 11, 2001
Kennington is Runner-Up in Second Consecutive Race
Coming off a very strong second-place finish at Peterborough Speedway in the
most recent Castrol Super Series a few weeks ago D.J. Kennington and his
Castrol SYNTEC / Kleen Flo / Elgin Chrysler / Team Truck Centres Intrepid were
ready to take another stab at victory last Saturday night. The battlefield for
the third event of the 12-race Castrol Super Series would be the paperclip
shaped half-mile oval at Mosport Speedway.
During the afternoons practice sessions Kennington’s Intrepid was among the
fastest cars, despite only adjusting stagger and putting four new tires on the
car. "The car was good off the trailer again," explained D.J. "We only ran
about 23 laps, because we knew the setup was good and we didn’t have to use the
car up making it better."
D.J. was looking for the pole when he made his qualifying pass, and on his two-
lap timed run Kennington was able to rip off the third fastest time of the
session, less than 2/10ths of a second off the pole speed. "That was right
about where we practiced, and will give us a good starting spot for the
feature."
When the green dropped for the Exide 250, D.J. rolled off third and tucked into
line. He would run in fourth for the first 90 laps of the event, balancing the
tasks of saving the car, while trying to move to the front. On lap 90, while
the field was under caution almost all the leaders headed to pit road for
service. Kennington and pacesetter Don Thomson Jr. remained on the track,
moving D.J. up to second. A lap-108 yellow would allow the Castrol SYNTEC
machine to duck onto pit road for right side tires and fuel as the Castrol Crew
made a great stop, returning D.J. to action in 16th position.
When the green was shown again, Kennington scampered through the field, showing
how strong his car was as he climbed to fourth. But, shortly after gaining
fourth his trip towards the front was stalled as the # 17 was spun, forcing
Kennington to race through the field one more time.
The St. Thomas driver made it seem easy as he again fought through traffic,
claiming a top-five spot with 50 laps to go. But, he wasn’t done yet. D.J.
passed Al Turner for third with 40 to go and started his assault on the leader,
Mark Dilley. A flurry of cautions slowed D.J.’s charge during the closing
stages of the race, and he had to settle for his second consecutive second-
place finish.
"All those cautions at the end cost us the win – that, and having to use a lot
of the car to get back to the front twice. I still think I had more car than
Dilley at the end, but just couldn’t get enough green flag laps to get by him."
Kennington also commented about his best chance as the white flag came out, "I
got to the inside of Mark and he came down on me. All I saw was the # 64 on his
door. I had to back out and let him get straight, or I might have taken both of
us off the podium. Still, we have to be happy with this run, and we know that
another win is just around the corner if we keep working this hard and keep
having good races."
1. Dilley, 2. D.J. Kennington, 3. Turner, 4. Dave Jacombs, 5. Kelly Williams.
Event number four of the Castrol Super Series will see the D.J.K. Racing Team
in action on the road course at Mosport Speedway on June 24th. Kennington
finished third in the event in 1999.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or
maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or visit www.geocities.com/17cascar, or
www.cascar.ca.
For information on the Official D.J. Kennington Fan Club visit
www.geocities.com/djkennington
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 28, 2001
Kennington 20 Laps From Castrol Super Series Win
(Peterborough, Ontario) Coming off a fourth-place finish in the season opening MOPAR Performance 250 at Delaware Speedway on Victoria day, D.J. Kennington and his Castrol SYNTEC / Team Truck Centres / Kleen Flo / Elgin Chrysler Intrepid were looking to back that up with another good finish on Saturday May 26th. The D.J.K. Racing Team was at Peterborough Speedway for the Flex Mor Trucking 150 on the track labeled as ‘Canada’s Fastest 1/3rd-mile’.
D.J. rolled his number 17 off the trailer, and never missed a beat during the early part of the day. Practice session after practice session, were completed, and a common theme had developed – Kennington was on top of the speed charts. "We make sure that we’re prepared every time we leave the shop. I see a lot of other teams that get to the track and still have a lot of work to do. We like to get to the track, unload the car and go straight to tech lane. About the only thing we usually have to do is check the air pressure in the tires."
In qualifying Kennington backed up his great practice times with a lap good enough to take the pole. It was the second fast qualifier award for Kennington in his career and his first since Cayuga in 1998. It also made D.J. very optimistic going into the feature. "This place is very tough to pass on, and my car is quick. If I can stay out of trouble, and we get some breaks, this could be our night." Kennington qualified a tenth of a second faster than second-place Mark Dilly, who was only a tenth in front of four other drivers.
Kennington paced the field to the green for the Flex Mor Trucking 150 and promptly showed how tough he would be all night, blitzing away from everyone. It was a common theme during the race that was slowed for 11 cautions. Every time the yellow would fly, the field would close on D.J.’s back bumper, and on every green he would make them smaller in his mirror. "The car was just hooked up. We were great getting off the corners, and no one could get a run on us."
On lap 129 the D.J.K. Racing Team would get their only unlucky break of the day. Shortly after the ninth yellow, as Kennington was trying to lap Andy Farr. Farr drifted up the track a lane, forcing D.J. to back off the throttle. Al Turner, who had stayed within striking distance of Kennington since the last restart dove to the inside and took the lead. D.J. would hound Turner over the final 20 laps, but two cautions slowed the advances of the Castrol SYNTEC Intrepid, and Kennington would finish one car length behind Turner. "Those last two cautions killed us. I needed about 10 laps of green in a row to get Al, and we got less than five on both restarts."
A dejected D.J. spoke about the race, "We had the best car here, and a lapped car cost us a win. We were fastest all day, won the pole and led almost the entire race, but I guess we didn’t lead the most important lap." In usual Kennington fashion, he was also quick to praise the winner, "As much as we wanted to win it, Al ran us clean all night, and at the end he was giving me a little room, but I just didn’t have enough time to take advantage of it."
Turner, 2. D.J. Kennington, 3. Dilly, 4. Kerry Micks, 5. Don Thomson Jr.
The third event of the 12-race Castrol Super Series will be Saturday June ninth on the 1/2-mile oval at Mosport Speedway. Kennington finished 10th in the event last season, and fifth in 1999.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or maudsleymotorsports@home.com, or visit www.geocities.com/17cascar, or www.cascar.ca.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 22, 2001
Kennington Posts Top-Five Finish in Season Opener
(Delaware, Ont.) The D.J.K. Racing Team arrived at Delaware Speedway on
Saturday May 19th, to qualify for the first Castrol Super Series event of the
2001 season. D.J. Kennington and his Castrol / Kleen Flo / Team Trick Centres /
Elgin Chrysler Intrepid were prepared to have a solid weekend, and put them in
early championship contention.
Kennington was one of the favorites for the pole position when qualifying
kicked off, following his posting of the top times on the speed charts during
practice. "The car is awesome," exclaimed Kennington after practice. "It’s been
fast ever since we took it off the trailer. The only changes we made with the
car all day were tire stagger, and sway bar adjustments." During his time trial
run, D.J. didn’t disappoint, as he stopped the clocks with the fourth fastest
time of the session. This would lock Kennington’s number 17 into fourth on
Sunday’s staring grid. The driver was pleased with the outing. "Qualifying is
the most important part of being here today, and we did well today. We have the
car very fast, and any time you qualify in the top-five it puts you in a good
position for the feature."
Sunday’s main event saw 10,000 spectators fill the grandstands at Delaware
Speedway for the MOPAR 250. Kennington rolled off from the outside of row two,
and fell into line in fourth-place at the drop of the green. Kennington stalked
third-place Kevin Dowler for the first 104 laps of the race before darting to
the inside and taking third spot. He would run third until most of the leaders
headed to the pits under yellow at lap 125. The action on pit road was very
tight and Kennington got blocked in his pit stall, costing him vital seconds
while trying to get out. He returned to the track in eighth-place. "Everyone
came in at once, and it was real crowded on pit road. Our guys had a great
stop, changing two right side tires and taking fuel quicker than most teams,
but it took us a while to get back out."
Kennington made short work of most of the competition in front of his Intrepid,
climbing to seventh by lap 150, and cracking the top five on lap 176. "The car
was awesome. I was saving everything, brakes, tires, and the car, since the
early going, because I knew the car was good enough to win." Then, with 80 laps
to go, Kennington was forced to overcome another adverse situation, as the bolt
that mounts the right rear shock, broke, making it difficult to come off the
corner. "I had enough left to get to second for sure until that happened, but
with the mount broker, I just couldn’t get out of the turns." D.J. would have
to settle for a fourth-place finish. "That’s a great way to start the season,"
Kennington exclaimed shortly after taking the checkered flag.
Those smile would turn sour about an hour after the end of the race, as
Kennington was informed that his flywheel was lighter than the minimum allowed
in the rules, by less than a pound. "It’s a raw deal for us. The entire package
that has to be bolted together should work out to a certain minimum weight, and
ours was over that, but the flywheel which is just one of the components and
was measured separately. This is the first new flywheel we’ve had in three
years, and it’s the same part number as the last one, and the others we have on
the shop. The same part number, just a little lighter." D.J.K. Racing will
appeal the penalty.
Unsponsored Kerry Micks took command from Scott Steckly on lap 169 and led the
rest of the distance to win the first of 12 CASCAR Super Series events on the
2001 schedule. A tight two-car battle was waged for the second spot, with Ron
Beauchamp Jr., besting David Whitlock for the spot.
Micks, 2. Beauchamp Jr., 3. Whitlock, 4. D. J. Kennington, 5. Kevin Dowler.
The Castrol Super Series will visit Peterborough Speedway next Saturday night,
May 26th, for event number two of 12 on the season. This will be the first
visit to Peterborough for the series since 1999.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or
maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or, visit www.geocities.com/cascar17,
www.geocities.com/djkennington, or www.cascar.ca.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2001
Kennington Poised for Championship Run in 2001
It’s been a long winter around the D.J.K. Racing shop in St. Thomas, Ontario.
D.J. Kennington and his crew have been busy preparing the Castrol / Team Truck
Centres / Kleen Flo / Elgin Chrysler / Intrepids that will be wheeled around
the top race tracks in Canada this summer, by one of the Castrol Super Series’
brightest stars.
Kennington, the 23-year old, St. Thomas native, has both eyes firmly looking
ahead, as he guns for his first Castrol Super Series National
championship. "That is our main focus. We have the ability to be as fast as
anyone does, every single weekend. All the guys and myself have worked very
hard this off season, making sure that everything in our fleet will be quick
enough to run up front." Kennington was also quick to thank many of his
supporters, explaining, "I can’t say enough about Castrol, who have been with
us since day one, as well as the rest of our sponsors. Without them we wouldn’t
be here. I also have to thank all the media that helps promote our sport, all
the CASCAR officials, and all the fans that come out to the race tracks."
In 2000, Kennington recorded finishes of eighth and seventh in the National
and Eastern point standings, with his best run coming at Calgary’s Race City
Speedway. That was an occasion in which Kennington showed just how tough he is.
He fought off the effects of a virus that forced him to spend time in the
hospital before race weekend. He battled the 85-degree heat of an Alberta day.
He bested all but two of his opponents in a race to the third spot on the
podium. "That was probably the highlight of our year. I was thinking for a
while that I might climb out of the car, but I toughed it out, because I knew
how hard myself and all the guys had worked to get there and I wasn’t going to
quit on them."
D.J. also other great days at the track last summer, including a fourth-place
finish at Cayuga, and Chicoutimi, as well as a fifth at Ste. Eustache, but it
was the Molson Indy that most will remember. Kennington started at the back of
the 38-car field, and by the time the smoke had cleared on the tight road
course, D.J. had finished tenth.
This weekend will also mark the debut of CASCAR’s newest fan club, ‘The
Official D.J. Kennington Fan Club’. "I’m excited about the fan club. It’s
something new, and I’m thrilled that I will get a better chance to spend some
time with my fans."
Racing at Delaware Speedway will also bring Kennington another chance to get
aquatinted with a track he knows very well. "We are always fast at Delaware,
and should have a shot at winning on Sunday. I like this track. It’s like home,
and I’m very comfortable here." D.J. Kennington won the Sportsman Championship
at Delaware Speedway in 1996.
The title hunt will commence on Saturday May 19th, at 6:00 p.m., when the
Castrol Super Series drivers will invade Delaware Speedway for the MOPAR Parts
250 and try to qualify for the competitive field. The green flag will drop for
the 250-lap feature event at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday May 20th.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or
maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Or visit the official D.J.K. Racing Team website
at www.geocities.com/cascar17, or the official D.J. Kennington Fan Club website
at www.geocities.com/djkennington. Also visit www.cascar.ca, or
www.delawarespeedway.com.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 17, 2001
D.J. Kennington Fan Club Launches on MOPAR Weekend
This weekend when CASCAR hits Delaware Speedway, it will mark the introduction
of CASCAR’s newest driver fan club, as the D.J. Kennington Fan Club launches
in conjunction with the first race on the Castrol Super Series schedule.
The D.J. Kennington Fan Club is being debuted at the MOPAR Parts 250 at
Delaware Speedway, and Kennington is excited about the new venture, saying, "It
will give me a little better chance to get to know my fans. The guys that are
working with me have come up with some fabulous ideas already, and I’m excited
about the kickoff of the fan club. I’m sure the club will be a lot of fun for
everyone!"
Two companies who have successfully promoted the 23-year olds racing career,
for several years prior to this 2001 season will join Kennington in the
endeavor. Maudsley Motorsports, handles the public relation duties for
Kennington and his Castrol / Team Truck Centres / Elgin Chrysler / Kleen Flo
Intrepid. The other partner, Chris Johnston, of C.J. Web Designs, builds and
updates Kennington’s website.
Jamie Maudsley, president of Maudsley Motorsports explained what each member of
the D.J. Kennington fan club will receive as a backer of the number 17 team,
saying,
"Every D.J. Kennington Fan Club member will receive a package containing
all kind of items like a T-shirt, a bumper sticker, quarterly newsletters,
a free three month subscription to Performance Racing News, great coupon
deals from our sponsors, a pen, a keychain, a certificate suitable for
framing, and a membership card. We’re going to have monthly draws for some
great prizes. We plan on having a meet and greet after the season, and out
grand prize draw will be special. One lucky member will receive an
invitation for him/her, and three of their friends to race go-karts at the
401 Mini Indy against D.J. and other members of the ‘Castrol Crew’. We
think we have a good package for all of D.J.’s fans."
Kennington has been competing in a CASCAR Late Model since turning 16, and has
captured a pair of Castrol Super Series wins. His best season was 1999, when he
won at Fredericton, and finished third in both the National and Eastern point
standings.
The kick off of the fan club will hopefully coincide with Kennington capturing
his first win of the 2001 Castrol Super Series at Delaware Speedway this
weekend. You will be able to sign up for the fan club at the track, by visiting
the Performance Racing News booth. The fan club is also on the Internet at
www.geocities.com/djkennington, and online sign-ups will be available soon.
Sponsors of the fan club include Castrol / Team Truck Centres / Elgin
Chrysler / Kleen Flo / Daimler-Chrysler / Performance Racing News / Mackie’s /
Al Jewell’s Perfect Signs / Atchinson Machine Services / 401 Mini Indy. We
thank you at all.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or
maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Visit www.geocities.com/djkennington,
www.geocities.com/17cascar, www.delawarespeedway.com, or www.cascar.ca.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 8th, 2000
Kennington Winds up 14th at Ste. Eustache
D.J. Kennington and his Castrol / Kleen Flo / Team Truck Centres / Cummins Dodge arrived at Ste. Eustache for the final round of the Castrol Eastern Super Series fifth in points, and looking to crack the top three by the end of the afternoon.
Kennington was among the top cars on the speed charts during practice and backed it up with a fourth-place showing during time trials. "The car was really good all day long. We've been to this track so many times that we always have the car in the ballpark right off the trailer, and the only thing we did all day was play with tire stagger to make the car a little better."
D.J. rolled off seventh in his heat race, and finished in the same spot on the tough 4/10th-mile flat track. "It's so hard to pass here, and the heat races aren't that long, which makes it tough. You also have to have the feature in the back of your mind, and not risk wrecking the car before the main event."
In the feature Kennington started fourth and quickly found a place to fall in line and ride out the first half of the race. The number 17 car battled fourth and seventh throughout the afternoon, never losing sight of the front pack. "The car was working real good, and I was just trying not to burn my tires off."
Kennington was running fifth with 50 laps to go, and was still there with only a couple of laps to go, but it was evident that he had a car that could surely get to third. "I was just starting to make a run to the front because I had more tires left than a couple of cars in front of me." It was then that John Gaunt spun Kennington in turn one. Kennington would get the car pointed in the right direction and continue, but he had been shuffled back to 14th spot, the last car on the lead lap. "That was real disappointing, because we might have finished third in the standings had that not happened."
As of Tuesday at 4:30 CASCAR hadn't released the final points standings.
Neil Fair led over 100 laps of the feature, but it was Peter Gibbons' day. Gibbons fought back from an incident with a lapped car to win his second Super Series race in a row. Don Thomson Jr. finished second and clinched his second consecutive Eastern Series championship.
1. Gibbons, 2. Thomson, 3. Dave Whitlock, 4. Kerry Micks, 5. John Gaunt, 14. D.J. Kennington.
The next event for the D.J.K. Racing Team will be August 25-27 at Mosport for the third event of the Castrol National Super Series.
For more information contact Maudsley Motorsports at (519) 453-7256, or maudsleymotorsports@home.com. Visit www.geocities.com/17cascar, and www.cascar.ca.
Email: cascar17@hotmail.com