DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Good things come to those who wait; so the saying goes, but DJ Kennington could have thought it may never happen. However, years of frustration and heartbreak came to an end last Sept. 25 at Kawartha Speedway, near Peterborough, Ont., as he won his first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series presented by Mobil 1 championship.
Finishing second to Andrew Ranger in both 2007 and 2009 and third to Scott Steckly in 2008 just tells the story since NASCAR came onto the Canadian stock-car racing scene. Kennington, 33, had several close calls in the CASCAR Super Series – the former home for Canada's elite racers – as well.
"We've had some great seasons, but someone else was either a little bit better or we shot ourselves in the foot," said Kennington. "That's racing, though. For me, it just gave me that much more drive and determination. I just always moved on to the next season."
While it is true that Kennington, out of St. Thomas, Ont., has not spent a lot of time dwelling on or talking about the disappointments of seasons past, but there was a moment in the season finale at Kawartha that they all undoubtedly flashed through his mind. After starting on the pole and leading 78 of the first 79 circuits in the 250-lap event, his No. 17 Castrol Edge Dodge that had been so good all season long, especially on the ovals, began to vibrate.
"At that point, I didn't know what was wrong. I just know the car couldn't go anywhere," he said. "It wasn't anything terribly bad. It just wasn't right. That's when I starting thinking, 'Man, you gotta be kidding me. It's happening again.' I had no choice but to head to pit road to find out what it was."
BEHIND THE SCENES OF A CHAMPIONSHIP
CHAMPION CAR OWNER PROFILE: Doug Kennington
CHAMPION CREW CHIEF PROFILE: Dave Wight
Fortunately, for Kennington, the yellow flag came out for a caution enabling a stop to assess the problem and stop the bleeding before losing even more track position. The trouble was a tire going flat which was an easy fix, but ground was lost to championship rival JR Fitzpatrick (No. 84 Schick Hydro Chevrolet), who came into the event trailing Kennington by just 40 points and was at the front of the pack looking to stake his claim to the title.
With plenty of race left, though, Kennington had the time and, now, had a car capable of making up the difference. Showing no signs of panic, he systematically worked through traffic on the .375-mile track and got inside the buffer, afforded by his 40-point lead. In the end the point was moot after Fitzpatrick got tangled up with another car on the final lap and the final margin was 87 points in Kennington's favor.
"From the beginning my focus was on the race. I wasn't even thinking about the championship," Kennington said. "I knew if I won the race, then everything would take care of itself. But the flat tire changed that and with about five laps to go, I was up to fourth and I knew we had enough to take the championship."
With a 13-race schedule, there are no mulligans. Getting off to a quick start is tantamount to success. And Kennington did just that in 2010. The season opened at his home tack, Delaware (Ont.) Speedway, and Kennington started from the pole and led a race-high 130 laps en route to his second straight win at the track.
In addition to Kennington jumping out to the early points lead, Fitzpatrick finished second and set up a season-long duel between the two good friends for the Canadian Tire Series crown. Throughout the season, Kennington and Fitzpatrick played leapfrog with the top spot in the standings and the lead changed hands an unprecedented six times. In the series' three previous seasons, the lead changed hands just three total times.
Following the Delaware win, Kennington went on to win four more times – all on ovals –giving him five victories in eight oval-track starts on the year. Those performances provided a bit of a cushion should something go wrong in the five demanding road-course dates on the schedule and it was a pad that came in handy. Kennington finished 15th in a July event in Edmonton and 28th in the Montreal race in August. He logged top 10s in the other three road-course contests. The poor finish in Montreal could have been catastrophic, but Fitzpatrick, a pre-race favorite and former winner at the legendary Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, also struggled to an 18th-place finish.
Karma proved to be kind to Kennington in 2010 and all of the bad luck suffered in the past seemed to come full circle, working to his benefit. Perhaps it was a matter of fate for him to seal that elusive first title on Sept. 25, his father, car owner and engine builder's birthday – Doug Kennington, all one in the same.
"It means a lot that it happened that day," said the younger Kennington. "I can't explain to you how much that man has done for me. I don't think there is any way I could ever repay him."
For as much as this championship means to him, Kennington deflected the credit toward his father, crew and sponsor.
"I'm just so proud of the entire Castrol Edge Dodge team," he said. "There are so many people who had a hand in this, I'm not sure I can name them all. Everybody, top to bottom, was focused on this championship from the very beginning. The crew did an awesome job all year long in the shop and at the track. They played a key role in each of those wins. I bet they won me three, maybe four, of those races by just being the best at what they do."
THE MAKING OF A CHAMPIONSHIP
A First Time For Everyone At Kawartha
Kennington Moves To The Front
Kennington Gets Best Of Wild Finish
Kennington Takes Victory At Saskatoon
Kennington Wins A Wild One In Quebec
Kennington Claims Canadian Opener
With 17 years together, Kennington and Castrol are practically synonymous in Canadian motorsports. Beginning the partnership when Kennington first climbed behind the wheel of a race car at the age of 16, the two have been together for every win, pole and disappointment. Now, they are together in this ultimate victory.
"It was gratifying to win for Castrol in the first year of their new product (Castrol Edge) and new branding," said Kennington. "It was like a new beginning this year. The car and the team had a whole new look. They've been so supportive over the years in more ways than just dollars and cents. I'm really happy that we were able to get it done for them."
Championships are never taken for granted regardless of the number won and the first is always special. While Kennington will continue to strive for more wins and titles, he will never forget this feeling and the disappointments of the past will sting a little less. Nor is there any more rationalization, public or private.
"I used to say that I would rather win a race than a championship. Now, I think that is someone who hasn't won a championship talking," he said. "Everything kind of went our way this year, and as we've proven, more than a few times, that's not going to happen every year. This is a special feeling – no doubt."
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