His quest for last year’s track championship was so close, it was almost like he could taste it.

A hat-trick of feature event victories and some stellar performances throughout the season brought Sean Kennedy to within 30 points of the 2015 Battlefield Equipment Rental 4Fun division point title. In just his first full season of weekly short track stock car racing, the 20 year-old former Mosport International Karting Association champion from Courtice, Ontario gained the experience and confidence needed to be a success at the next level of his racing career.

“A couple of better finishes might have changed things a little, but we still had a great season,” said the young speedster. “Just turning laps out there every week taught me so much and the talent level in the field is getting stronger every time we roll to the starting line. Where I was chasing the front runners last year, I imagine there’ll be drivers chasing me this year.”

Kennedy says that other than checking the chassis of the #9 Honda, straightening some damaged body panels and applying a new coat of paint, his team isn’t planning any major changes to the program that lead to a runner-up point finish as they head into the new season. With the first green flag less than a month away, just getting things ready has meant the team has been doing some homework.

“On the outside, the car won’t look much different than it did last year,” said Kennedy. “We had a strong car and I’m confident that we’ll be quick out of the box this season too. Our team is committed to put the best effort on the track every time we sign-in at the pit gate. I’m a year older and have another season of competition under my belt. Hopefully, that’ll make a difference when the points are calculated at the Championship Clash in September.”

Sean Kennedy’s package will be supported by Apex Auto in Oshawa and Signworks in Port Perry. Businesses interested in being part of the program during the 2016 season can contact the team via e-mail, Kennedy.dc@sympatico.ca. Follow the driver’s progress throughout the season by liking the ‘skracing’ page at www.facebook.com.