PENSACOLA, Fla: Four and a half weeks have felt like six months for Rette Jones Racing and ASA STARS Rookie driver Kyle Steckly.
That wait, however, will end when the ASA STARS National Tour resumes its schedule with Sunday afternoon’s Sunshine State 200 at Five Flags (Fla.) Speedway.
While his debut in the ASA STARS National Tour didn’t quite go as planned last month at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, Steckly and his Mooresville, N.C.-based Rette Jones Racing team recovered from a hiccup in qualifying to make serious headway throughout the race and capture an eighth-place finish after starting 31st.
With a solid finish in the books and his championship efforts off to a solid start, Steckly and his Mark Rette-led team trek to Five Flags, looking to capitalize on a recent test session at the historic half-mile and deliver another solid finish.
“I’m really looking forward to the Sunshine State 200,” said Steckly. “With one Super Late Model race under my belt with the Rette Jones Racing team, I think we can build on our strong result in the season opener and have some fun at Five Flags Speedway this weekend.”
Steckly, the son of four-time NASCAR Canada Series champion Scott Steckly, is adamant that his team’s preparation for 200 laps on Sunday will pay dividends in the second ASA STARS National Tour race of the season.
He is also banking on the experience of two Pro Late Model races at Five Flags Speedway to quickly help him adapt to the fundamentals of Super Late Model racing.
“We did a lot of preparation for this weekend’s Sunshine State 200,” added Steckly. “We were able to get out and test with our No. 30 APC Ford Mustang. I have also competed in two Pro Late Model races there and have been doing lots of iRacing and following past races – just doing everything I can to be the most prepared we possibly can be.
“Five Flags is one of the toughest tracks out there, so it’s not going to be easy, but I am looking forward to Sunday’s challenge.”
Knowing that Sunday afternoon’s race will be one of the tests he faces so early into his first full season of ASA STARS National Tour competition, Steckly is determined to rely on the experience of New Smyrna to aid him towards another strong finish.
“New Smyrna was full of lessons and learning,” he explained. “I was proud of the team and how we rebounded from a rough start to the weekend. The biggest thing I learned was being patient. You can say you’re going to be patient but going out there and doing it is another mindset.
“Starting deep in the field, we had no choice but to be patient and it rewarded us with a solid top-10 finish. I don’t expect us to have as many cars as we did at New Smyrna, but I know at some point, patience will be a priority in making the most of my Super Late Model Five Flags Speedway debut.”
When push comes to shove, Steckly is looking for back-to-back top-10 finishes to assist him in the championship standings on Sunday.
“Without a doubt, I am looking for another strong run with our No. 30 APC Auto Parts Centres Ford Mustang,” continued Steckly. “I’d love a top-five finish, but I think if we could run inside the top-10 the entire race and compete with the best of the best, learning from them would be fantastic and keeping us in the hunt.”
Pleased with their efforts at New Smyrna, the team led by former ARCA championship crew chief Mark Rette is confident they can find themselves in the hunt for the win Sunday afternoon.
“I am really proud of the resilience of the Rette Jones Racing team, including Kyle,” sounded Rette. “New Smyrna definitely did not unfold the way we wanted it to, but through determination, we persevered and left the track with a top-10 finish.
“We learned a lot in our first race together, and I believe we will be able to showcase what we capitalized on at Five Flags Speedway. It’s a track that I am familiar with and I know what it takes to go fast in Pensacola. Kyle is upbeat and eager to get to work and we’re all excited for a strong race for the No. 30 Auto Parts Centres (APC) | Canusa Ford Mustang.”
With nine races remaining in the 2024 ASA STARS National Tour season, Steckly and Rette Jones Racing sit 10th in the championship standings and sit 34 points in the arrears of championship leader Casey Roderick.
Auto Parts Centres (APC) | Canusa will be the primary marketing partner for Steckly’s full ASA STARS season aboard the No. 30 Ford Mustang.
APC Auto Parts Centres | Canusa is a family-owned automotive parts business started in 1981 with over 50 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.
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).
The Sunday matinee will conclude the weekend as the top Super Late Model drivers in the country will square off in the ASA STARS National Tour Sunshine State 200. The event is a combination race with the ASA Southern Super Series and the track’s Blizzard Series. Qualifying will be at 12:00 pm CT, autograph session at 1:30 pm CT, and racing at 2:30 pm CT.
Those unable to attend the Sunshine State 200 can watch online live coverage on TrackTV.com, MidwestTour.TV or FloRacing, all of which are subscription-based.
MavTV will re-air the Sunshine State 200 at 8:00 p.m. ET on Monday, April 1st, as part of their All-American Racing Monday lineup.
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 the ASA STARS National Tour Series in 2024 and 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.