THE CANADIAN PRESS
FRASERVILLE, Ontario — Scott Steckly wrapped up his first NASCAR Canadian Tire Series championship Saturday night, holding off a late-season challenge from Don Thomson Jr.
Steckly finished 17th in the Dodge Dealers of Ontario 250 at Kawartha Speedway, while Thomson finished fifth, to earn his first NASCAR championship by 24 points. Jason Hathaway picked up his first career victory in a race that was called after 174 of the scheduled 250 laps because of rain.
Steckly won three of the first four races of the season and held the points lead the entire season. The 36-year-old from Milverton, Ont., wound up with four wins, nine top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 12 races.
He is the second champion in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. Andrew Ranger won the inaugural championship in 2007.
Thomson had been able to close the gap late in the season with a win, a third, and a seventh-place finish in the three races heading into the finale.
As the series champion, Steckly earned a spot in the NASCAR Toyota All-Star Showdown Jan. 23-24, 2009 at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale, Calif. Last year, Ranger represented the series in the prestigious post-season event.