EDMONTON, AB. – The $100,000 Northern Provincial Pipeline Late Model Series wraps up the most grueling part of the schedule this Saturday and Sunday with its first ever visit to Rapid Fire Motorsports Park near Drayton Valley.  “This is the second two day show in three weekends,” indicates NPP tour announcer Gord Craig, “it may sound cliché but this is the ‘go hard or go home’ race event for teams involved in the championship chase.  The problem right now is that I can see fatigue starting to show on the faces of the teams.  This is resulting in shorter ‘fuses’ between teams challenging each other in the standings.  We are starting to see more fireworks on the track and in the pits.”  Current point leader Dwight Kennedy knows there is a lot of pressure on his race team this weekend.  “There are some desperate drivers behind me,” says the Edson, Alberta driver, who’s coming of a Feature win last weekend in southern Alberta, “my team has this #81 Dodge running flawlessly right now, so its really up to me to keep it at the front the rest of the way.”  Kennedy last won a NPP Series championship in 2001.  “It’s been way too long,” smiles Kennedy who has finished fourth in the NPP standings the last two seasons.  One of the hottest drivers on the series right now and the greatest threat to Kennedy’s point lead is Gerry Emond.  The Edmonton Alberta driver has raced to three consecutive podium finishes (two seconds and a third) in Feature races this month.  “Finding that first win of the season has been tough,” says the 2004 NPP rookie of the year, “we’re right there in the standings and we intend to put the pressure on the leader this weekend and maybe grab our first victory of the year.”  Emond’s son Trevor sits third in the standings. “I lost the point lead at a two day show (in Edmonton) and I’m going to use Drayton Valley to try and get it back.  These two days shows can make or break your season,” adds Emond, “now’s the time to make a charge.”  The three-time NPP series champion trails his father by just 35 points and Dwight Kennedy by 176 points.  Trailing Emond by just 41 points is Darrel Midgley.  “We’ve got to pick it up a lot from where we were last weekend (Rocky Mountain Raceway Park) that’s for sure,” says the Sidney BC driver who finished sixth in the Feature, “but we’ve made a lot of progress this year.  If we put a couple good races together this weekend we’ll be good shape for the stretch run in September.”  The stars of the NPP Late Model Series will once again team up with race teams of the Fountain Tire Alberta Sprint Tour on Saturday.  “This is a pivotal race for teams in both series,” adds announcer Gord Craig, “ironically teams in both the Late Model and Sprint Car Series will have just four races left in their seasons.”  After Sunday’s race event in Drayton Valley, there will only be three race events left in the 2006 NPP Late Model Series. The remaining races will be run at Edmonton’s Castrol Raceway.

DRAYTON VALLEY, ALBERTA 
Saturday, August 19 – racing @ 5PM
Sunday, August 20 – racing @ 3PM