OKOTOKS, AB – A familiar name returned to the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series for the first time since September 2006. Leduc Alberta’s Trevor Emond was filling in for regular NPP Series driver Kevin Clark at Rocky Mountain Raceway Park Saturday and Sunday night. It was a near perfect weekend for the three time NPP Series champion (2003, 04, 05).  Emond drove the Clark Construction #5 Dodge to back to back Feature event wins and never finished worse than second in the Qualifying heats and ‘A’ Dash races (won Heat Saturday and won ‘A’ Dash Sunday).  The last time Emond competed in an NPP Series race was September 9th 2006.  “It was good to be back racing with these guys again,” says Emond, “I have missed it.  This brought back a lot of good memories running here this weekend.”  Emond left the NPP Series at the end of the 2006 season to spend more time with his family.  Emond has since returned to the racing scene running the 2008 ARCA West Pavement Late Model Series where he currently sits number one in points.  “Had to adjust our driving style a little bit coming back over to the dirt from the pavement but we managed well.”  Emond remains the all-time Feature win leader in the NPP Late Model Series.  His weekend sweep gives him 29 NPP Feature wins, four more than two-time NPP Series champion Dwight Kennedy.  Both Saturday and Sunday’s race events were action packed.  What was expected to be a carnage filled weekend on the tight ¼ mile Southern Alberta race track never materialized.  There were a few crumpled fenders and banged up bumpers but no major incidents.  Saturday night’s Feature had only 4 yellow flags fly in 30 laps.  Sunday saw 8 cautions fly.  Edson Alberta’s Ken Clark and Whitecourt Alberta’s Rod Wilde swept their Qualifying heats both nights.  Stony Plain Alberta’s Mike Tom and Trevor Emond were the other qualifying heat race winners.  Brian McCaughan and Trevor Emond won the weekend ‘A’ Dash events.  ‘B’ Dash wins went to Kevin Wheeler and Sean Moskal.  After four consecutive weekends (6 race events) teams of the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model series get a much deserved two-week break.  Next race action is the biggest Oval event of the season at Edmonton Alberta’s Castrol Raceway.  Two racing Series team up for two big nights.  The Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series and the World of Outlaw Sprint Car Series compete at the 2nd annual Boston Pizza Oil City Cup which runs Friday and Saturday, August 22nd and 23rd.

NPP PIT BITS
– Trevor Emond has won the last four NPP Features he’s competed in. (Okotoks weekend plus Aug 26th/Sept 9th, 2006 in Edmonton)
– Brian McCaughan is the fourth different NPP Series point leader this season.
– Mike Tom won three out of the four Qualifying heats he ran at Okotoks this season.  The Stony Plain driver also moved from 6th to 4th in NPP standings on the weekend with a fifth and a second in the Features.
– after a fourth place finish in the Feature Saturday night, Campbell River BC’s Chris Beaulieu spun twice in the Feature.  Two yellow flag rule forced Beaulieu to park the car for the rest of the Feature.