Scott Steckly won the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series 2011 season opener, the Dickies 200, presented at the Mosport Speedway last Saturday night.
The 2008 series champion dominated much of the 200-lap event on the half-mile oval, but lost the lead during a pit stop when an air gun jammed as a crew member was changing the right rear tire on his No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge.
He restarted fifth and quickly began his charge to the front. He caught Pete Shepherd III by Lap 153 and moved by for the lead a few laps later. Steckly, who led a race-high 112 laps, held on through two restarts in the last 10 laps to take the win, the ninth of his career.
Shepherd, who won the 2010 season finale at Kawartha Speedway, edged Don Thomson Jr., for second.
Brad Graham logged the fourth position while defending series champion DJ Kennington ended up in fifth place.
Isabelle Tremblay, from St. Hippolyte, Quebec, finished 14th.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be back in action next weekend when the circuit makes its inaugural visit to Circuit ICAR, the modern motorsports facility north of Montreal for the first of five road-course engagements this season.
Indianapolis 500 polesitter Alex Tagliani is entered in the event as is fellow Quebecer Andrew Ranger, who is not only a two-time Canadian Tire Series champion but also has won eight of the series’ last 11 events on road courses.
The 2008 series champion dominated much of the 200-lap event on the half-mile oval, but lost the lead during a pit stop when an air gun jammed as a crew member was changing the right rear tire on his No. 22 Canadian Tire Dodge.
He restarted fifth and quickly began his charge to the front. He caught Pete Shepherd III by Lap 153 and moved by for the lead a few laps later. Steckly, who led a race-high 112 laps, held on through two restarts in the last 10 laps to take the win, the ninth of his career.
Shepherd, who won the 2010 season finale at Kawartha Speedway, edged Don Thomson Jr., for second.
Brad Graham logged the fourth position while defending series champion DJ Kennington ended up in fifth place.
Isabelle Tremblay, from St. Hippolyte, Quebec, finished 14th.
The NASCAR Canadian Tire Series will be back in action next weekend when the circuit makes its inaugural visit to Circuit ICAR, the modern motorsports facility north of Montreal for the first of five road-course engagements this season.
Indianapolis 500 polesitter Alex Tagliani is entered in the event as is fellow Quebecer Andrew Ranger, who is not only a two-time Canadian Tire Series champion but also has won eight of the series’ last 11 events on road courses.