EDSON, AB – Officials with the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series hope to see a few more race teams in the pits and on the track at their next scheduled event. “We race in Edmonton August 13th,” says NPP Series announcer Gord Craig, “I’m really trying to be optimistic here when I say that ten teams should be on the property for this event.” If Craig’s prediction holds true this would double the car count that showed up in Rimbey for the 2016 season opener. “We had five teams show up for our first race weekend of the year.” Craig admits that the state of the Alberta economy has a lot to do with the decreased car count. “A majority of the drivers and team owners I’ve talked with said they are hurting. Things have slowed down dramatically the past several years (in Alberta).”

The car count woes led to NPP Series officials making the extremely difficult decision of cancelling a scheduled appearance in Drumheller, Alberta on the Canada Day long weekend. “That was not a fun phone call to make,” says Craig, ” in the sixteen year history of the NPP Series, this was the first time that we’ve had to cancel a two-day show due to car count issues.” The NPP Late Model Series is not the only racing division in Alberta suffering from reduced participants in 2016. “Two of the Featured classes that raced in Edmonton (Castrol Raceway) this past weekend had only six cars in the pits.” Craig says the big picture is not pretty for the remainder of the racing season. “An economic slowdown does not discriminate. Everyone is affected.” There are five race dates left on the 2016 NPP Late Model Series schedule. No make-up dates are planned at this point in time for the cancelled Drumheller weekend.