OKOTOKS, AB – Jason Beaulieu scored his second consecutive Feature win of the 2009 season Saturday night sneaking past three-time NPP Series Champion Trevor Emond just before the finish line. “That was an incredible race,” says the Campbell River BC driver, “we made it stick on the outside tonight for a win which is not easy to do here.” This was Beaulieu’s first ever Feature win at Rocky Mountain Raceway Park. “Trevor is a great competitor. He had the middle and bottom of the track covered pretty well which forced me to the outside.” Entering Saturday nights race, Beaulieu talked about the need for patience in order to succeed on the ¼ mile oval track south of Calgary. However it was impatience that almost put the current NPP Series point leader out of the event. Beaulieu banged up the #46 Lucas Oil Dodge during his Heat race and was towed from the track. “I was a little hot going into the corner and bent a few parts,” admits the 2007 Series champion who had to run the ‘B’ Dash, “but we got the car back together in time and used the Dash to set the car up for the Feature.”

Beaulieu started the Feature in the number 10 position but would end up challenging Trevor Emond for the lead with 9 laps to go. Emond led 29 of 30 laps Saturday night holding off Mike Tom and Kevin Clark for the first half of the Feature. Tom would retire with electrical problems. Clark would tag the front straight wall and would park his damaged race car. That left Jason Beaulieu and his son Chris Beaulieu to keep the pressure on Emond. “Good clean race,” says Leduc Alberta’s Trevor Emond, “it would have been nice to come away with a win but what can you do. There is still plenty of racing left. We’ll be in victory lane soon. ”

Emond won his Heat race and then the ‘A’ Dash which put his #17 Glentel Wireless Chevrolet on the pole. Chris Beaulieu, filling in for Darrell Midgley, drove the Lucas Oil #14 Dodge to a third place finish Saturday night. “It’s pretty neat to be able to visit victory lane with my dad.” says the Campbell River, BC driver, “especially on a Fathers day weekend.”

Chris Beaulieu also had to overcome some racing troubles Saturday night. “I had a front row seat when Kevin Clark hit the front straight wall. We damaged the race car getting into the back of him. I sure thought we were going to have overheating problems but we didn’t.” Rounding out the top 5 on Saturday night, defending NPP Season champion Brian McCaughan (Okotoks) finished fourth and Edson’s Ken Clark finished fifth.

The Northern Provincial Pipelines returns to Southern Alberta for a double header race weekend to wrap up the month of June. Saturday night, teams compete for valuable season points at Bridge County Raceway in Lethbridge. Sunday afternoon, the NPP Series races at the grand opening celebration of Dinosaur Downs Raceway in Drumheller, Alberta’s newest oval racing venue.

RACE NOTES
– There were three father son race teams competing on the track Saturday night. Dwight Kennedy/Shawn Kennedy, Gerry Emond/Trevor Emond, Jason Beaulieu/Chris Beaulieu.
– Edmonton’s Gerry Emond put his racing experience to work when called upon to fill in for Darin Borysko. In his first race since September ’06, Emond finished 7th.
– Defending NPP Series champion Brian McCaughan had a plug wire come off late in the Feature and settled for forth.
– Stony Plain Alberta’s Mike Tom left the race before the midway point with electrical problems.
– For the second consecutive race, Altario Alberta’s Kevin Clark tagged the front straight wall and had to retire due to suspension damage.