EDSON, AB – The Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series, Western Canada’s top touring series on the dirt, welcomes one of Canada’s top pavement racers to Alberta this weekend. DJ Kennington sits second in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series points chase heading into Saturday’s race in Edmonton, Alberta.

“We’ve had a pretty good year so far,” says the St. Thomas, Ontario driver, “with the win in Deleware last month and two seconds and a fourth the last three races, we are now within striking distance (42 points) of the leader (Andrew Ranger).” The NCTS is currently in the middle of its three-race western swing. It concludes next Wednesday night in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. “I love racing in Alberta,” says the driver of the Northern Provincial Pipelines/Castrol sponsored #17 Dodge, “there seems to be an instant connection (with race fans) here in Edmonton. I can probably attribute that to my involvement in the NASCAR Nationwide Series.”

After running 26 races in 2008 and finishing 24th in Nationwide Series points, Kennington is running a limited race season this year in the #81 Dodge which is owned by Northern Provincial Pipelines Ltd. (Race operations run by MacDonald Motorsports in Thomasville, North Carolina) “We’ve run six times this year and will probably run two or three more times before the season wraps up in November. However our main focus right now is running strong here and trying to get the Canadian championship the end of September.” On his was to Edmonton, after racing in Vernon, British Columbia (Saturday – finished 4th), Kennington stopped by the race shop of long time supporter and sponsor Dwight Kennedy of Northern Provincial Pipelines Ltd.

“Many Canadian racers can only dream of getting that big break,” says Kennington working on his car at the NPP race shop, “Dwight has given me a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to run the big tracks in the United States and I can’t thank him enough. Racing at Daytona International Speedway, racing in Phoenix and down in Texas and being able to run side by side with Dale Earnhart Junior, Tony Stewart and Kyle Busch is really hard to explain in words. What I do know is that these experiences will be with me forever.” Many Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series race teams will be in the grandstands Saturday cheering for the NPP sponsored #17 Dodge of DJ Kennington. Kennington who finished fourth earlier this year on the road course race in Bowmanville, Ontario, looks to take over the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series point lead with a strong finish on the roadcourse in Edmonton.

City Center Airport – Edmonton, Alberta
(part of the 2009 Rexall Edmonton Indy race weekend)

NCTS WEEKEND SCHEDULE
> Friday, July 24th
Practice Session #1: 8:00am
Practice Session #2:10:45am
Qualifying: 5:00pm

> Saturday, July 25th
Race: 11:00am

2009 NASCAR CANADIAN TIRE SERIES SCHEDULE
Saturday, July 25 – Edmonton, Alberta (road course)
Wednesday, July 29 – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (oval)
August 8 – Bowmanville, Ontario (oval)
August 16 –Trois-Rivieres, Quebec (road course)
August 30 – Montreal, Quebec (road course)
September 12 – Barrie, Ontario (oval)
September 19 – Antigonish, NS (oval)
September 26 – Peterborough, Ontario (oval)