But going forward, you’ll have to clarify which Steckly you’re referring to, when you hear that surname. Scott’s son, Kyle, is coming into his own on the Ontario racing scene, and it likely won’t be too long before you see his name on an entry list for a NASCAR Pinty’s Series race. Just a few weeks after posting some top finishes in Pro Late Model action at Flamboro Speedway – and winning his first career race in the div- ision – Kyle Steckly scored a perfect night in Round 2 of the Grisdale Triple Crown, at the Millgrove, ON paved oval. Known as a tight and challenging Steckly (r) in Flamboro’s Qwick Wick Victory Lane with Qwick Wick President Dave Lloyd. Photo by Peter Anderson track, Steckly posted the fastest lap KYLE STECKLY (Milverton, ON) during time trials, putting him on the pole for August 7 race, in front of a field jammed with quality racers. Since 1992, fans of Canadian stock car racing have likely thought Steckly’s No. 24 Qwick Wick Camaro car led the entire race, of five-time NASCAR Pinty’s Series champion Scott Steckly when from the drop of the green until being the first to pass by the check- they heard the name “Steckly” mentioned, in relation to short track ered flag. Reigning Grisdale Triple Crown champ Shae Gemmell was stock car racing. The Milverton, Ontario racer was inducted into the hot on Steckly’s heels throughout, and took second, ahead of Shawn Canadian Motorsport Hall of Fame in 2017. Chenoweth, at the end. – Story by Greg MacPherson IT RAPHEL LESSARD (St-Joseph-de-Beauce, QC) For the past few years, Canadian racing fans have known that Raphael Lessard is a talented stock car driver. As a NASCAR Camping World Truck Series rookie, last season, he won in the tour’s visit to Talladega, in October. In January, Lessard’s team announced he would be driving for the GMS Racing team’s Truck Series operation, full-time in 2021. But in early May, a subsequent announcement notified his support- ers that the pandemic had impacted efforts to secure sponsorship for Lessard and that he would no longer be racing for the team, this season. In late June, the WMI NASCAR Pinty’s Series team released the news that one of its regular drivers, Donald Theetge, had injured his right hand and would not be able to race in the sea- son-opening doubleheader at Sunset Speedway in early August. Filling in for Theetge – in the No. 80 Camaro – would be 20-year- Raphael Lessard filled in for Donald Theetge at the NPS doubleheader at old Lessard, from St-Joseph-de-Beauce, QC, for both races. Sunset on August. 1, winning both races for the new WMI racing team. Lessard had won in his only other career NPS oval start, at his Photo by Steve Traczyk home track Autodrome Chaudière, in 2019. The youngster demon- “It was a perfect night, I can’t thank WMI and Theetge Chevrolet strated that the victory wasn’t just rookie luck, as he left Sunset, on and everyone enough for this opportunity,” said Lessard, after- August 1, with two more ‘first place’ trophies. wards. “That’s three for three on the ovals now.” Both 125-lap events featured close racing and demonstrated Lessard hopes that his performance at Sunset turns heads in that Lessard has what it takes to go head-to-head with Canada’s corporate boardrooms and with team owners in Canada and in the top stock car drivers and teams. US. He’s certainly doing his part. – Story by Greg MacPherson IT 16 Inside Track Motorsport News D.J. CHRISTIE (Beachville, ON) Nineteen-year-old D.J. Christie scored the first 360 Sprint Car win of his career on August 7 in Pinty’s Knights of Thunder series competition at Southern Ontario Motor Speedway, snapping Jor- dan Poirier’s four-race win streak in the process. Ryan Turner and Holly Porter made up the front row for the 25 lap A-Main, and Turner led the first lap with row two starters Christie and Poirier hot on his heels. Christie went low and Poirier high as both got past Turner in turn 2 and began to pull away. Christie stuck to the low groove in traffic, with Poirier generally running a similar line; Poirier did venture to the high side at one point and lost a lot of ground in the process. Poirier had closed the gap considerably when Dan Nanticoke and Baily Heard both spun on lap 13. Christie kept the lead on the restart, but another yellow flag immedi- ately came out. Christie again kept the lead on the restart, but the red flag came out on lap 15 when Scott Burk spun out in turn 3 and Dan Nanticoke hit the D.J. Christie with the ceremonial sword handed out to Knights of wall and flipped wildly. Nanticoke emerged from his damaged car Thunder Sprint event winners. Photo Courtesy of Dale Calnan / Imagefactor.ca uninjured but done for the night. Christie again held court on the restart and kept Poirier at bay for the rest of the race. Poirier was happy with his second-place finish, despite seeing the The win was especially sweet for Christie after a grinding crash end of his win streak. at Humberstone a week earlier. “Hat’s off to D.J. He was awesome,” added Poirier. “At the first “That’s our fifth 360 start and we’re in victory lane!” said Christie. part of the race he passed Ryan and I thought I could get him on “I’ve got to say a special thanks to Poirier. I’ve been asking him ques- the outside. The track was in amazing condition. It’s awesome to tions all week. I’ve probably been annoying him, but apparently it has come race here, and the fans in the stands, it’s crazy! Fun to be paid off. I think he’s going to stop helping me now.” back to something close to normal.” – With Files from Tommy Goudge IT PARKER THOMPSON (Red Deer, AB) Canada’s Parker Thompson earned his second Porsche Carrera Cup North America win in the second of two races at Road Amer- ica in Elkhart Lake, WI during IMSA’s annual visit to the historic 6.515 km road course. Monsoon Rain cancelled Friday qualifying, but the Red Deer, AB native was on the pace early and often, finishing second in the weekend opener before his green-to-checkered run to victory in the weekend finale. “This weekend at Road America is a testament to the work that JDX Racing puts in day in and day out,” said Thompson. “It’s no secret that we have a limited testing budget this year compared to our championship rivals, and to completely turn our performance around from The Glen to a dominant win at Road America is un- heard of at this level of competition. There’s no better feeling deliv- ering a burly outside pass in turn 1 then translating it to a dominant win when you have the group of guys that I have behind me! “ Thompson celebrates his win at Road America. Photo Courtesy of JDX Racing “What a great weekend and I’m very proud of everyone on our creates confidence. Confidence is one of those things that creates race team,” added Jeremy Dale, Managing Partner/JDX Racing. momentum, so I’m excited to get to Indianapolis.” “Of course, we are most happy that Parker won today, his second After Road America, Thompson sits in third in the overall race win of the season. The most important part of the weekend Porsche Cup North America standings with 129 points. The Kelly was that our results were based on lots of hard work from our Moss Racing duo of Dutchman Kay van Berlo and the UK’s Seb drivers, crew and engineers and that process is what created our Priaulx, who have 171 and 164 points, respectively. results this weekend. What is nice about a weekend like this is it – With files from JDX Racing IT InsideTrackNews.com 17 in the six-hour race to take the lead. That let his No. 55 Mazda Motorsports Mazda DPi RT24-P pass Olivier Pla, who had built a 15-second lead before the caution in the No. 60 Meyer Shank Racing with Curb-Agajanian Acura ARX-05 that he shared with Dane Cameron. Knowing he was danger- ously low on fuel, Tincknell tried to save as much as possible while staying ahead of Pla, a former Mazda teammate who won the 2019 Sahlen’s Six Hours of (Left to right) Jonathan Bomarito, Oliver Jarvis and Harry Tincknell celebrate Multimatic’s win at Watkins Glen. The Glen with Tincknell and Photo Courtesy of IMSA Bomarito in 2019. MULTIMATIC MOTORSPORTS (Markham, ON) Tincknell managed to hit the required fuel numbers and reached the finish line 0.965 seconds ahead of Pla. He made it a few more Getting a lift to the pits in a safety car usually isn’t a good sign for turns around the 5.5 km circuit before the Mazda coughed to a a racecar driver. In Harry Tincknell’s case, it was pure joy. Tincknell stop, its fuel tank dry. Tincknell applauded the work of the engineers won the Sahlen’s Six Hours of The Glen at Watkins Glen Inter- and strategists atop the No. 55’s pit box, who calculated it right national in late June with a car so low on fuel that it ran dry on the down to the last drop.