Inducted 2004 – Competitor – Drag Racing
Independent, dedicated, versatile and determined. For more than 40 years, Doug Kennington has displayed those qualities at drag strips and oval tracks throughout Canada. Fuelled by a passion for motorsports and a single-minded determination to succeed on the road of his own choosing, Kennington has created a wide-reaching legacy that has left an indelible mark on the Canadian racing scene. It was Doug Kennington who convinced local businessman Bob Harvey to build St. Thomas Dragway and he became the driving force behind the new facility. As well as overseeing the operation, he was Technical Director and he also raced. With a young family and a growing business, Doug eventually backed away from St. Thomas. It wasn’t until young son DJ started in go-karts that Doug got involved in the sport again. Faced with the choice of going drag racing or oval racing, young DJ opted for stock cars. By all accounts, Doug was always a ‘MOPAR Man’, regardless of what he raced on the track. Although successful in a ’52 Olds, a sedan Willys and several other makes, Doug’s heart always belonged to one certain brand. The Kenningtons’ decision to race MOPARs on stock car ovals was anything but the easy route to take. But their perseverance paid off in spades. In 1996, powered by Doug Kennington-built MOPAR motors, DJ captured the CASCAR Sportsman track championship at Delaware Speedway, as well as his first CASCAR Super Series win. In the time since, they’ve been – more often than not – the top performing MOPAR Super Series team. The team’s level of respect is further evidenced by its long-running sponsorship support from Castrol Canada.