Kyle Steckly Excited Ahead of Rette Jones Racing ASA STARS Debut
NEW SMYRNA, Fla: The start of the 2024 ASA STARS National Tour season is nearly here.
For Rette Jones Racing and rookie Kyle Steckly, Tuesday night’s running of the Clyde Hart Memorial is essential for many reasons.
The season’s opening round is nestled into a big night of racing during the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, but it also the opportunity for Steckly and the Mooresville, N.C.-based Rette Jones Racing to showcase their potential in their quest to hunt for the ASA STARS National Series championship.
With more than 40 cars expected to be on deck for the 200-lap race, Steckly knows the competition will be some of the strongest of the season and sets the tone for the 10-race schedule.
“I’m really looking forward to the Clyde Hart Memorial on Tuesday night,” said Steckly. “The entry list is huge, the season opener is always to put on a good show, and the weather looks well for a great night of racing on a Tuesday night. I hope we can start the season well with our No. 30 Auto Parts Centres (APC) | Canusa Ford Mustang.”
Steckly, the son of four-time NASCAR Canada Series champion Scott Steckly, arrives at Rette Jones Racing with healthy and impressive racing credentials, including the 2023 APC United Late Model Series championship.
But while most of his competition has been in his home country of Canada, Steckly is poised to make a statement for his first championship run in the United States.
To jumpstart his season, Rette Jones Racing and Steckly recently participated in a test session at the half-mile Florida oval – to get Steckly comfortable with the track and his ASA Racing Late Model.
Pleased with their efforts, the team led by former ARCA championship crew chief Mark Rette is confident they can find themselves in the hunt for the win in their debut.
“Being able to test at New Smyrna a few weeks ago was huge,” added Steckly. “I got comfortable with the car and the crew, and we had some good speed in our car. That gave me a boost of confidence going into my debut.
“Obviously, I always go to the track to win. And that is possible with the Rette Jones Racing team. We have a great Port City race car and a great group of guys with me to make that happen.”
While winning is the goal on Tuesday night, Steckly said he would also settle for a top-10 finish as a good fallback.
“We’re going to New Smyrna eyeing the win, but if we can’t do that, we’ll take a top-10 finish,” explained Steckly. “It’s a relatively short season with only 10 races, so it’s super important to collect every point and a top-10 finish will certainly put us in a great place to hunt a championship.”
For Jones, the opportunity to work with Steckly for a full ASA STARS National is an honor. Still, he also looks forward to expanding the team’s portfolio by competing in a new racing division.
“We’re excited and ready to go,” said Rette. “Kyle is full of talent, and he will do a great job to showcase that throughout the 2024 season. I was impressed with his ability to get up to speed quickly during our recent test at New Smyrna, and that should pay dividends on Tuesday night.
“It’s going to be a massive field, but we are ready to be in the thick of the battle, and we have what it takes to start the season with a victory. We’ve done it before with Max (Gutierrez), and I’d love to do it again with Kyle on Tuesday night.”
In addition to his 2023 APC United Late Model Series championship, Steckly’s accolades include two APC United Late Model Series wins, the 2023 Grisdale Triple Crown Champion and Gold Rush 123 winner, second-place at Oshweken Speedway with the NASCAR Canada Series on dirt, and winning the pole in the 2023 season finale Pinty’s Fall Brawl at Delaware Speedway in Delaware, Ont.]
For more on Kyle Steckly like him on Facebook (Kyle Steckly Racing) and follow him on Instagram (@kyle_steckly) and X | Twitter (@KyleSteckly).
For more on Rette Jones Racing, please visit RetteJonesRacing.com, like them on Facebook (Rette Jones Racing), or follow them on Instagram (@RetteJones30) and X | Twitter (@RetteJones30).
For ticket information for this event and the entire 2024 World Series of Asphalt schedule, visit New Smyrna Speedway online: newsmyrnaspeedway.org
Those unable to attend the Clyde Hart Memorial will be able to watch online live coverage on TrackTV.com, MidwestTour.TV, or FloRacing, as all are providing subscription-based coverage.
About Auto Parts Centres (APC) | Canusa:
Auto Parts Centres (APC) | Canusa is a family-owned automotive parts business started in 1981 with over 65 branches stretching across Ontario. APC’s target market is purely trade-based, supplying garages, specialty installers, dealerships, and muffler shops throughout the province.
Auto Parts Centres takes full advantage of the marketing power of motorsports by sponsoring numerous race cars and speedways around the province. APC is the proud title sponsor in the APC Pro Late Model Touring Series that has been recognized as one of Canada’s top series.
About Rette Jones Racing:
Headquartered in Mooresville, North Carolina, Rette Jones Racing (RJR) was founded in 2015 with the intent of building a successful racing operation built around the fundamentals of hard work and a never-give-up attitude.
Owned by racers Terry Jones and Mark Rette, RJR plans to field a full-time entry in 2024 in the ASA STARS National Tour Series while also planning to field vehicles in the ARCA Menards Series platform and NASCAR respectively.
Rette Jones Racing also offers technical and setup intel as part of its technical alliance partnership program.