EDMONTON, AB – The Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series has always attracted some of Western Canada’s top driving talents. For three former NPP Late Model Series Champions, 2014 was quite the year. Dennis MacEachern, the 2002 NPP Series Champion, won his first ever ASCS open wheel Sprint Car race in the United States. Mike Tom, the 2011 NPP Series Champion, won his first Edmonton track championship. Three-time NPP Series Champion Trevor Emond won his first pavement Late Model season championship in the United States.

After winning the NPP Late Model Series Championship back in 2002, Dennis MacEachern ventured into open wheel territory. “I’ve run sprint cars since 2003,” says the Edson, Alberta driver, “some days you just want to pack up and want to sell everything when you crash or have a bad day. Then you get a top 5 or even a win and then you immediately forget about the last bad race.” Running a limited season in 2014, MacEachern recorded his biggest open wheel victory ever. “For only racing six times this year, getting a win felt pretty good. Especially where we did it.” On the second night of a three-night show, MacEachern won the ASCS Feature race at Electric City Speedway in Great Falls, Montana. “Some pretty big names were there from the ‘360’ Sprint Car ranks. It was sure nice to win one for our car owners.” MacEachern started running for Keith and Terry Sommerville back in 2011. In his 29 NPP Late Model Series starts, MacEachern recorded 28 Top 10 finishes along with 7 Heat and 3 Feature event wins.

Mike Tom competed in the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series from 2004 – 2012. For the last two seasons, the 2011 NPP Series Champion has been one of the top drivers in the Northern Thunder Dirt Late Model class at Castrol Raceway. “It’s been a challenge changing over to the new car, ” admits Tom, “they are completely different to driving a NPP car.” It did not take the Stony Plain, Alberta driver very long to adjust to his new racing surroundings. In only his second year in the NTDLM class, Tom led all drivers with 6 Heat and 3 Feature wins to claim his first Edmonton track championship. “Our approach to racing and how we compete has not changed. We are racing to win in this class.” Tom recorded 41 heat race wins and 9 Feature wins in 97 NPP Late Model Series starts.

The biggest success story for a former NPP Series competitor goes to three-time NPP Series Champion Trevor Emond. The past two seasons, Emond has focused all his racing attention south of the border. That focus paid off big in 2014. “It took me 19 years to finally win a pavement Late Model race in the States,” exclaims Emond of his May 31st victory at Montana Raceway Park. The rest of the season, a series of strong finishes at the same facility gave Emond his first ever Super Late Model track championship in the United States.

“To win the 2014 track championship in Montana was just huge.” Emond was the first Canadian season champion in the 23 year history of Montana Raceway Park. “I’m proud of this championship, ” exclaims Emond, “I’m more proud that my son [Ty] won the Bandelero Season Championship [at Montanaa Raceway Park] as well.” The father/son championship in two classes is a first for Montana Raceway Park also. Emond last ran in the NPP Late Model Series back in 2012 where he won back to back Feature events at Merritt Speedway in British Columbia. Emond still sits number one in the NPP Series rankings with 47 Heat and 33 Feature victories in 79 starts and remains the only driver to record three consecutive season NPP Series championships [2003, 2004, 2005].