EDMONTON, AB. – Race officials with the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series have made the difficult decision to cancel its scheduled August 13th appearance at Castrol Raceway. “It’s disappointing that we have to do this,” sighs NPP Series announcer Gord Craig, “you want to put on a good show for the fans but it’s pretty hard with a reduced car count.”  The state of the Alberta economy has hit the motorsport scene hard.  “Its not just the NPP Series that is seeing a reduced competitor count,” says Craig, “car counts are down everywhere.  It just seems to be more noticeable in our class.”  Two seasons ago 18 NPP Series teams were in the pits for a race in Edmonton.  “When you suddenly have less than eight teams showing up for an event, its hard not to notice.”

NPP SERIES CHAMPIONS MIDGLEY AND MILLER (photo: STP Racing Memories)

This is only the third-time in the 16 season history of the NPP Late Model Series that it has cancelled a scheduled appearance at Castrol Raceway.  NPP Late Model Series officials were optimistic that 10 teams were going to race in Edmonton.  “Unfortunately the number of teams that was going to show up this weekend was far, far less than ten.”  Craig says he had only four teams confirmed for Saturday night.  “I’m still confident we can get ten drivers for the Gold Cup race the end of the month. (August 26/27).”  The Gold Cup race is a significant event for the NPP Late Model Series.  “The NPP Late Model made its official Edmonton debut at the 1999 Gold Cup race and has been the support class to Canada’s longest running open wheel sprint car event ever since.”  The Gold Cup was first run in Edmonton back in 1954.  The first official season of the NPP Late Model Series was 2001.  Heading into the next scheduled race in Edmonton, British Columbia’s Darrell Midgley, the defending NPP Series champion has a seven point lead over 2014 NPP Series Champion Mark Miller of Calgary, Alberta.