D. J. Kennington
A Canadian stock car lifer who built his own team from the ground up and twice conquered the national series.
Born 1977 (age 49)·Canadian racing driver·Birthday: July 15·Generation X
Biography
D.J. Kennington’s life has been measured in laps and family legacy. Growing up around his father Doug’s CASCAR operation in St. Thomas, Ontario, Kennington didn’t just inherit a love for racing; he inherited a workshop and a fiercely independent spirit. He turned professional in his teens, choosing the grueling path of the owner-driver, building DJK Racing into a formidable entity in Canadian stock car circles. His career is a testament to consistency and homegrown talent, peaking with back-to-back NASCAR Canada Series championships in 2010 and 2012. While he has made select, respected forays into NASCAR’s top-tier Cup and Xfinity Series, often as a underdog filling a seat, his heart and his legacy remain firmly rooted north of the border, where he continues to compete full-time, a veteran presence mentoring the next generation of Canadian racers.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
D. was born in 1977, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When D. Was Born
The biggest hits of 1977
#1 Movie
Star Wars
Best Picture
Annie Hall
#1 TV Show
Happy Days
D.'s Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1977Born
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1982Started school
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1990Became a teenager
Hubble Space Telescope launched; Germany reunifies
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $79,100Min wage: $3.80/hrPresident: George H.W. Bush"Hold On" — Wilson PhillipsBest Picture: Dances with Wolves
1993Could drive
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1995Could vote
Oklahoma City bombing; Windows 95 released
Gas: $1.15/galHome: $96,500Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Gangsta's Paradise" — CoolioBest Picture: Braveheart
1998Turned 21
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2007Turned 30
iPhone released; Great Recession begins
Gas: $2.80/galHome: $172,600Min wage: $5.85/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Irreplaceable" — BeyonceBest Picture: No Country for Old Men
2017Turned 40
#MeToo movement; solar eclipse crosses the US
Gas: $2.42/galHome: $195,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Shape of You" — Ed SheeranBest Picture: The Shape of Water
2026Age 49 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the NASCAR Canada Series championship in both 2010 and 2012.
- Founded and operates his own full-time racing team, DJK Racing, in the NASCAR Canada Series.
- Has made starts in NASCAR's premier Cup Series, driving for Spire Motorsports in 2018.
- Competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series for B.J. McLeod Motorsports.
Did You Know?
His father, Doug Kennington, was a CASCAR driver and founded the St. Thomas Raceway Park in Ontario.
He has driven the car number 17 for the majority of his career in the NASCAR Canada Series.
He made his NASCAR Cup Series debut at the 2017 Daytona 500, finishing 26th.
He is one of the few drivers to have won multiple championships in what is now the NASCAR Canada Series.
“This isn't a hobby. It's the family business, and I'm the mechanic.”
