DJ Kennington, driver of the #17 Castrol EDGE Dodge, showcased remarkable skill and resilience in round three of the NASCAR Canada Series at Eastbound International Speedway in Avondale, Newfoundland on Saturday June 22nd. Debuting a brand-new race car, Kennington delivered an impressive performance throughout the event.
Kennington showed significant speed early in the #17 Castrol EDGE Dodge, setting the fourth quickest time in practice and narrowly missed clinching his first pole position start of the year. Starting the race on the front row, Kennington maintained a strong presence in the top three through the early stages, demonstrating the potential of his new car.
As the race progressed, Kennington experienced a slight setback, dropping a few positions before the scheduled mid-race break. Following the stop for fuel and fresh tires, an intense restart led to a dramatic moment on the track. Another racer made a highly questionable decision to attempt a pass and forced Kennington to take evasive actions in the #17 Castrol EDGE Dodge to prevent a major collision. Despite sustaining suspension damage from the incident, Kennington demonstrated his tenacity and skill by wrestling his damaged car to a commendable seventh place finish.
“First up, great job by the Castrol team to get this new car ready, we’re really pleased with the speed, and we showed our potential. That was a ridiculous move to make on the restart when we’re only halfway through the race. Our whole front end was bent after that, and it was a salvage mission to get the best possible finish. The new car was really good. We expected to need adjustments after a long run, but I’m super excited about what we’ve got with this new car. Can’t wait for next week”.
DJ Kennington and the Castrol Edge Dodge team will race this coming Saturday & Sunday, June 29th and 30th, at Riverside International Speedway in Antigonish, NS.