Kyle Steckly; Rette Jones Racing Ride ASA STARS Win To Michigan 200
OWSSO, Mich.: Over the last month, life has been good for Kyle Steckly and the Rette Jones Racing team.
In the ASA STARS National Tour’s most recent race at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, the pair of Steckly and Rette Jones Racing were able to take a mediocre rookie season and explode with a bombshell victory in the Redbud 400 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway.
It was an impressive weekend for the Mooresville, N.C.-based team, who unloaded fast with their No. 30 Ford Mustang, with Steckly taking control of the reins at the top of the speed chart before qualifying a strong third.
From the drop of the green flag, Steckly took the lead on Lap 1 and led the first 74 laps of the race, before leading eight laps in the middle stages of the prestigious race and taking control of the field for the final 63 laps of the race and sailed to a popular first career ASA STARS National Tour victory.
Not only was victory the first for Steckly in the ASA STARS National Tour competition, but it was also the first triumphant for Rette Jones Racing on the ASA STARS scene.
“The Redbud 400 was a huge win for our team definitely gave us a big boost of confidence and put even more hunger into this RJR team to follow it up this weekend,” said Steckly.
“Anderson wasn’t a one-and-done win this season. We’ll take as many wins as possible, and we are looking to prove that this weekend at Owosso Speedway.”
With just four races remaining in his rookie ASA STARS National Tour Series season, Steckly says having confidence on his side knowing he has the ability to get the job done against some of the country’s best Late Model drivers.
“It’s been huge,” offered Steckly of the confidence boost. “My first win in a Super Late Model and my first win in the United States has really helped my confidence in knowing I can get it done against the best of the best.
“And I think it gave confidence to our team being where we should be and we have all the right pieces to do so when it comes together.”
Despite the upset win, Steckly and his Mark Rette-led Super Late Model aren’t focused on chasing down points for the series championship. Instead, Steckly hopes to keep moving forward with the mentality that led him to Victory Lane at Anderson.
Steckly, the son of former NASCAR Canada Series champion Scott Steckly, says that while the championship lead may be a stretch, his aim of capturing Rookie of the Year remains a priority, especially with so few races remaining.
“Points are not a priority for me, and where we sit, but if we keep running up front with consistent finishes as we should, I’d love to stay in the hunt for Rookie of the Year honors and make that happen,” Steckly added.
Luckily for the Canadian, the 19-year-old is not heading to Owosso Speedway completely blind. He has experience at the track in a Pro Late Model earlier this season, finishing second in the Big O Classic in May.
“I raced a Pro Late Model at Owosso earlier in the season. It’s an amazing facility, and a fresh repave is going to create some great racing in the Super-Late models. With my experience, I’m confident going into the weekend and believe we can leave the track Saturday night with back-to-back trophies.”
With their sights set on back-to-back victories, the team led by former ARCA championship crew chief Mark Rette is confident they can find themselves in the hunt again for the win this weekend.
Their efforts in 2024 have been commendable and with one of their goals complete, it’s time to keep checking off the list.
“I’m just proud,” offered Rette. “We’ve been able to build this relationship with Kyle from the bottom to the top and celebrating with him at Anderson in Victory Lane was certainly special. He was hungry for a win at Anderson, and he’s hungrier for a win at Owosso.
“Throughout the year, Kyle has done a great job adjusting to track conditions and manhandling very different and unique tracks. I think he will continue to showcase that on Saturday.
“It felt great to leave Anderson with the trophy. We’re happy right now, but we are ready to just keep fighting for wins and make the most out of these remaining four races left in 2024.”
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.
Following Anderson Speedway, Steckly is tied for sixth in the championship standings with just four races remaining in 2024.
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 Redbud 400 is set for Sunday, August 25, 2024 at 1:30 p.m. ET
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.