EDMONTON, AB – Track and weather conditions were near perfect Saturday night at Castrol Raceway. Unfortunately on Friday afternoon, track officials were forced to cancel the 2016 season opener. More than 150mm of rain had fallen at the facility the past week saturating the competitor pits and the infield of the oval track. A final blast of rain Thursday night into Friday morning sealed the fate of the oval opener. The track was silent.

“It was the right call,” exclaims Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series announcer Gord Craig, “I was at the track site Friday afternoon and then again Saturday afternoon. A lot of drying had taken place but the pits and the middle of the oval was still saturated.” Craig says the decision to cancel a race is never an easy one to make. “Sure we could have gone racing but think of the outcry if an ambulance or emergency vehicle got stuck responding to an on-track incident.” The NPP Late Model Series, along with three other classes, were affected by the cancellation notice. “The weather was fantastic Saturday night, unfortunately it was the bad weather leading up to race night that did everyone in.” The last ‘dry’ day at the track was May 16th. “Castrol Raceway has a weather station. It measured just over 150mm of rain the past week.” Central Alberta Raceway’s will now host the season opening weekend of the NPP Late Model Series on Friday and Saturday night, June10th and 11th. Castrol Raceways rescheduled oval season opener will be on Saturday night, June 11th. The NPP Series next visit to Edmonton is not until August 13th.