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A little more than a month ago, life was good for Steckly, who had just re-signed a driver development agreement with Rette Jones Racing and was looking forward to kicking off his sophomore season of ASA STARS competition in a huge way early in the week.
Four days later, Steckly was focused on making his ARCA Menards Series debut at the “World Center of Racing” in a second entry for the Rette Jones Racing team as a teammate to YouTube sensation Cleetus McFarland.
Unfortunately, the team was plagued with bad luck with a mechanical failure in the opening laps of the Clyde Hart Memorial 200 at New Smyrna. The ill fortune followed Steckly to the 2.5-mile speedway at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, where a strong start to the race ended early after Steckly was an innocent victim in an early race accident.
Moving past the misfortune in central Florida, Steckly and his Mooresville, N.C.-based team, Rette Jones Racing, return to the Sunshine State regrouped and focused, looking to redeem themselves with a strong showing in the season’s second Appalachian Sucker Punch ASA STARS National Tour race.
“It’s really important to rebound strongly at Fige Flags this weekend to turn our momentum around,” said Steckly, the 2024 Appalachian Sucker Punch ASA STARS National Tour Rookie of the Year.
“We have put new Smyrna behind us and are ready to chase checkers this weekend.”
Already a winner in the Appalachian Sucker Punch ASA STARS National Tour competition last summer at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway, Steckly knows that his team will have to tackle one of the more demanding race tracks on the schedule.
The half-mile Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola is notorious for being tough to pass on, rewarding drivers who excel at the art of tire conservation.
Fortunately for the Rette Jones Racing team, they’ve logged valuable experience on the historic short track and hope to turn that knowledge into a competitive edge. Their previous outings at Five Flags have provided key insights into the track’s abrasive surface and the critical importance of managing tire wear over long runs.
With its rough pavement and tight corners, Five Flags demands a delicate balance of aggression and patience — a challenge the Rette Jones Racing crew feels ready to take on.
Armed with a well-tuned setup and a focused driver, the team aims to turn their experience into a strong qualifying performance and a competitive showing when the green flag waves.
“It’s a tough place — humbling, for sure,” Steckly admitted. “We’ve put in a lot of work building our notebook there and figuring out the new tire compound. My plan is to stay disciplined — both on and off the track — and give it everything to get the best result.”
To adapt to the new tire compound, the team recently dedicated an entire day to testing. They left feeling confident in both the setup and Steckly’s ability to adjust to the changes.
“We had a good test last week and have been really working on our Port City Race car to have it where it needs to be to be able to contend for wins,” Steckly added. “I think we have made big gains and can put them to use this weekend.
“We’ve made a lot of progress. It’s all about execution now — sticking to the plan and making the most of every lap.”
Steckly hopes to leverage his prior Five Flags Speedway experience — along with the dedicated work from his Rette Jones Racing team — to contend for a strong finish in Sunday afternoon’s 200-lap battle.
“I have high confidence in myself, my crew, and my car,” Steckly said. “I’m going there to win the race, but I’d be happy to rebound with a top-five finish.” |
