STECKLY WINS IN NOVA SCOTIA

Scott Steckly (22) leads the field down the frontstretch en route to his victory in the Komatsu 300 pressented by Wilson Equipment. Scott Sinclair/NASCAR

Antigonish, N.S., Canada - Scott Steckly came out on top in a fierce battle with Pete Shepherd III to win the Komatsu 300 presented by Wilson Equipment at Riverside International Speedway on Saturday and extend his lead in the championship standings of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series.

Steckly - who set the pace in practice and qualifying on the .333-mile tri-oval earlier in the day - battled back-and-forth with Shepherd for much of the 300-lap event, before pulling away in the closing laps.

He became the fifth different driver to win in five visits by the series to the high-banked Nova Scotia track.

Shepherd held on for second, with Donald Chisolm third and DJ Kennington in fourth. Kerry Micks finished fifth, the last car on the lead lap. Completing the top 10 were JR Fitzpatrick, Jason Hathaway, Ron Beauchamp Jr., Chris Raabe and Mark Dilley.

The victory marks a series leading third win this year for the 2008 series champion from Milverton, Ont., and his 11th career series win. Steckly holds a 94-point lead over Kennington - 1,785 to 1,691 - as the series prepares to close out its season on Saturday, Sept. 24, with the Kawartha 250 at Kawartha Speedway in Fraserville, Oct. Fitzpatrick is third in the standings with 1,604 points, followed by Micks with 1,594 and Don Thomson, Jr. with 1,576. Dilley at 1,476, Beauchamp at 1,459, Jason White at 1,357, Hathaway at 1,350 and Dexter Stacey at 1,266 round out the top 10 in points.

The Komatsu 300 presented by Wilson Equipment will be telecast by TSN on Saturday, Sept. 24 at 2:30 p.m. ET.