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DJ Kennington ready for second start in the Daytona 500

The two-time NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion returns with Gaunt Brothers Racing to compete in the season-opening race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series for the second straight year.

D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota

D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota

Alexander Trienitz

Cole Whitt, TriStar Motorsports Ford, D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
Gaunt Brothers Racing mechanics prepare D.J. Kennington's car
Gaunt Brothers Racing mechanics prepare D.J. Kennington's car
Gaunt Brothers Racing mechanics prepare D.J. Kennington's car
D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota; Michael Waltrip, Premium Motorsports Toyota
Matt Kenseth, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Kyle Busch, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota and D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
Jimmie Johnson, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet, Clint Bowyer, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, Kevin Harvick, Stewart-Haas Racing Ford, D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota, crash
D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
D.J. Kennington, Gaunt Brothers Racing Toyota
D.J. Kennington
D.J. Kennington, Dodge

The St. Thomas, Ontario, native started 28th in last year’s Daytona 500 and was running on the lead lap when he was collected in a 16-car accident that also took out seven-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson on Lap 127. Kennington finished 36th after the accident.

Having one year of experience behind him of competing at Speedweeks gives Kennington a new perspective this year.

I don’t know if you feel more prepared or confident but I think that I have a better understanding of what to expect this year when we get to Daytona. But then again, it’s a whole new ballgame this year with the new body and ride height rules so it’s a whole new set-up game and the cars will drive a little different this year.

D.J. Kennington

As for the year of experience he has now racing at Daytona, Kennington feels he can always get better.

“I mean I think you’re constantly learning (on the track) unless you’re someone like Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr. or Jimmie Johnson that has a lot of experience there and they probably feel pretty comfortable,” he said.

“I feel like I’m always learning out there and I can use some of my experience from last year to have a better day out there this year.”

His team recently tested at Talladega Superspeedway and while it’s not exactly the same as Daytona, Kennington felt they learned some things that will help him with the setup for the Daytona 500.

However, new rules for this season means it will be different for everyone.

“I think the ride height rule and new spring package has never been run before so it’s an unknown as we get ready for the race,” added Kennington. “We didn’t have the speed we wanted (at the test) but we gained a lot as a small team and got the car really comfortable.”

This year’s Daytona 500 will be Kennington’s sixth start in a Cup Series car and he feels more comfortable now heading into a Cup Series start.

“Like any type of racing the more you drive these cars the better you feel behind the wheel,” said Kennington. “We had a good run (finishing 26th) at Phoenix last year with Premium and we had a good day. You don’t want to be the guy to make the mistake for someone in the playoffs so we raced and came home in a respectable finish and learned a lot during the race.”

Like last season, Kennington will also use many of his crew members from his NASCAR Pinty’s Series team to help out.

“Zack Yeo and Dave ‘Whitey’ White are down here with me again this year to give us a hand,” said Kennington. “They work full-time for me back home on our Pinty’s Series cars, and I’m also bringing down my entire team from Canada and wives so they can enjoy the weekend too and it’s my way of showing them how much I appreciate all of them.”

After becoming the eighth Canadian driver to make a start last season in the Daytona 500, Kennington hopes to also become the first since Trevor Boys to make consecutive starts in the event. Boys currently holds the record for Canadians making five straight starts in the Daytona 500 between 1984 and 1988.

Last season Kennington wasn’t able to go anywhere in Canada without race fans coming up and congratulating him on making the Daytona 500 and their support shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon – something the humble driver will never take for granted.

“It’s awesome, to know they support me. I was at my local store grocery shopping for my family and a guy I didn’t even know came up to me and said ‘Shouldn’t you be down South by now?’ and I told him I was heading down in a day or two,” Kennington said.

“He told me that all of Canada was behind me and to go down there and get ‘em and that really means a lot to know all of Canada is behind me and supporting our efforts. I never really look at myself as that guy but I guess I am to a lot of fellow Canadians and that means so much to me to know I have so much support from back home.” 

All-time Canadian drivers to start in Daytona 500:

Dick Foley: 1959, 1960

Jim Bray: 1964, 1965

Don Biederman: 1968, 1969

Vic Parsons: 1973

Earl Ross: 1973, 1974

Roy Smith: 1976, 1977, 1982

Trevor Boys: 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988

D.J. Kennington: 2017

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