With just five races remaining in their inaugural ASA STARS National Tour season, the determination of Rette Jones Racing and rookie driver Kyle Steckly continues to be fierce.
Regrouped and refreshed after nearly a month break from ASA STARS National Tour competition, Steckly and his Mooresville, N.C.-based team trek to Anderson, Ind. – site of this weekend’s Redbud 400 looking to put their No. 30 Rette Jones Racing Ford Mustang team in the spotlight.
Last month’s double-header at Madison International Speedway and The Milwaukee Mile was a solid weekend for the team. Steckly earned a season-high sixth-place finish at Madison before finishing a respectable 11th in West Allis, Wisc., at the historic grounds of The Milwaukee Mile.
Leaving the Midwest in June with two solid finishes to their rookie resume, the team is still eager for more results and plans to utilize the remaining races on the 2024 schedule to inch closer to Victory Lane.
“I’m ready to get back racing with the Rette Jones Racing group at a historic track like Anderson Speedway in the Redbud 400,” said Steckly. “We all have all been working hard towards giving ourselves the best chance this weekend in a long 400-lap race.”
One of the most iconic short track races on the schedule, the Redbud 400 will present the opportunity for machine vs. man, but the son of former NASCAR Canada Series champion Scott Steckly is ready to compete in one of the longest races of his career while relying on the experience of his Mark Rette led team towards his first career ASA STARS top-five finish on Saturday night.
Not even the lack of experience at the famed Indiana race track is standing in Steckly’s way.
“I’ve never been to Anderson Speedway in person, but it looks like a lot of fun,” added Steckly. “It is a tight little bullring with a ton of banking. We had a lot of speed at Hickory Motor Speedway (May), which was another rough, small little track. So, I’m looking forward to seeing if we can apply our speed from Hickory and be a contender at Anderson.”
Officially past the halfway point of the 2024 season, Steckly is looking to apply what his Rette Jones Racing team has learned and execute it from now until the season finale in November.
The first half of the year has been a bit of a struggle, no doubt,” explained Steckly. “We have worked hard. But there has been a lot of growth, and we have shown signs of really good speed which was showcased at Madison.
“We have to put everything together for a race, and we will be upfront, and there’s no matter place to deliver on our plan with our best run of the season in the Red Bud 400.”
A relaxed ASA STARS National Tour schedule has allowed the Canadian to travel and race his Super Late Model at home which has yielded strong finishes and confidence.
That confidence is propelling the promising young driver to new territory, but his goals are still intact, and he is determined to deliver his Rette Jones Racing team and partners Auto Parts Centres (APC) | Canusa in the winner’s circle.
“I’ve been staying very busy with racing,” sounded Steckly. “I think any time you get into a race car, you’re learning something, and having the success we have been having back home is another boost in confidence. So, carrying that into these big races is definitely nice.
“We knew this year was going to be a big jump with a crazy amount of competition in the ASA STARS National Tour. But my goal is still to win a race and the Redbud 400 would be a great place to capture that checkered flag. If we can’t, we continue learning and growing as a driver and a team and focus on Owosso in August.”
With their sights set on victory, the team led by former ARCA championship crew chief Mark Rette is confident they can find themselves in the hunt for the win this weekend. Their efforts in 2024 have been commendable, and they are ready to prove their mettle again.
“We’re digging,” offered Rette. “Like Hickory, we were able to showcase a lot of speed with our race cars at Madison and The Milwaukee Mile. Kyle did a great job adjusting to track conditions and manhandling two very different and unique tracks.
“It felt good to leave Madison with a sixth-place finish, and I had hopes we could match or better it at The Milwaukee Mile, but finishing 11th and continuing to build our notebook is important for the long-term future.
“The Redbud 400 is no joke. It’s a long race, a fast race track that can be hard on equipment. Kyle will be fine though. At first, we need to race ourselves to make sure we set our position to be in an opportunity to contend for the lead near the end of the race. I believe we can win as a team. We need to stay focused.”
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 the Milwaukee Mile, Steckly is seventh in the championship standings, just seven points from fifth currently occupied by Austin Nason. 168 markers separate Steckly from the lead in the championship standings currently controlled by Casey Roderick with five 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 Saturday, July 20, 2024 at 8:00 p.m. ET
Rette Jones Racing PR
