EDSON, AB – Canadian race fans will have an opportunity to cheer for one of their own this Saturday (November 11th). In a sport dominated by American drivers, the NASCAR Busch Series will see St. Thomas, Ontario’s DJ (Douglas James) Kennington race for the checkered flag in a Northern Provincial Pipelines Ltd. sponsored Dodge Charger.
“We purchased two race cars outright last month and have since bought a third,” says car owner and major sponsor Dwight Kennedy of Edson based N.P.P., “two of the cars came from Rusty Wallace the other from the Chip Ganassi racing team. We had to pretty them up a bit and then fit DJ into them.”
Kennington made his NASCAR Busch Series debut on October 28th in Memphis, Tennessee and finished a respectable 27th out of a 43 car field.
“We qualified in the middle of the pack (23rd) and finished near the middle of the pack,” indicates the 29 year old driver, “it was a huge confidence builder for all of us.” Kennington, who just completed his 14th year racing on the Cascar stock car circuit in Canada, started racing go-carts at the age of four.
“My goal my whole life has been to race in the States. It was just a matter of a guy like me getting the right breaks at the right time. The phone call from Dwight was one of those huge breaks.”
Northern Provincial Pipelines has been involved with racing south of the border on and off over the years.
“Last year we dipped our foot in the water by putting our name on a truck in the NASCAR Truck Series,” says Kennedy, “this time we decided to jump in with both feet with a race car (BUSCH Series).”
Kennedy is coming off a successful season of his own winning the 2006 N.P.P. Late Model Series and Castrol Raceway track championship in Edmonton.
“I race on the dirt. The plan all along was to hire a driver who is familiar with racing on pavement,” indicates Kennedy, “I needed a driver who has a good head on his shoulders, incredible reflexes and is race smart. I’ve watched DJ race several times and anybody I’ve talked with have told me he’s got what it takes.”
Kennington will familiarize himself on the one mile paved oval track this Friday afternoon before Saturday’s qualify session. The big race goes Saturday afternoon.
ARIZONA TRAVEL 200 – Saturday, November 11th // Qualifying: 10:00AM // Racing: 1:30PM // TELEVISION: NBC (Live) // Radio: XM Satellite
FROM: GORD CRAIG
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