INDIANAPOLIS — Second-generation late model racer Kyle Steckly won the ASA STARS National Tour Rookie of the Year award in 2024.
It was the first season racing full time in the United States for the 19-year-old Canadian racer who is the son of four-time NASCAR Canada Series champion Scott Steckly.
The younger Steckly stopped at the SPEED SPORT booth during the recent PRI Trade Show and discussed his season.
“Coming into this season I was hoping to be rookie of the year, but it was the toughest field I had ever ran in for sure,” Steckly said. “I had a really good year with my Rette Jones Racing group and we were able to pick up rookie of the year.
It was pretty crazy,” he continued. “I was racing in Canada a year ago at this time and we were coming down with our own car and running a little bit here and there and then we met up with Mark Rette and Terry Jones and got hooked up there and it has been great ever since.”
A victory in the prestigious RedBud 400 at Indiana’s Anderson Speedway turned the season around for Steckly, who went on to finish second in the series standings.
“It was huge. That was the sixth race of the season,” he explained. “Before that we had some OK runs but nothing outstanding. We went there and we were lights out all weekend. It fit into my driving style, a short track like we have back home, really high banked.
“I don’t think I went over quarter throttle the whole race. That just shows you how much power you are really using there. It’s a cute little quarter-mile bullring and 400 laps there went pretty quickly. It’s fun when you have a car like that.
“You are just feathering it and you don’t use a lot of brake either.”
Steckly has a lot of respect for the drivers he’s competing against
“It was a learning curve for me and for the team and we really meshed together during the second half of the year,” Steckly said. “We got the RedBud 400 win and we started clicking off good finishes.
“It was just a blast out there to be able to run all the big-name races against guys like Bubba Pollard, Ty Majeski, Stephen Nasse and Casey Roderick. I’ve been watching those guys since I was a kid. To be down here and racing those guys every week is really special.”
Steckly hopes to continue climbing the motorsports ladder.
“I’ve been dreaming of racing on Sunday since I was four years old,” he said of the NASCAR Cup Series. “That is where it all started and that’s where the passion is. These STARS late models and all of the races across the U.S. are a blast. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
“I love what I am doing and we are just going to keep taking it one race at a time and, hopefully, we can pick up some wins.”