LETHBRIDGE, AB – The $100,000 Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series marked the halfway point of the 2007 season with two events in southern Alberta. Race fans at Rocky Mountain Raceway Park (Okotoks) and Bridge County Raceway (Lethbridge) witnessed two action packed shows. On Friday night, Kevin Clark, last years rookie of the year, won his first ever NPP Late Model Feature event. Clark, who predicted at the beginning of the year he would win a Feature this season, found out after the event he won it the hard way. The 25 lap Feature race turned into a 29 lap Feature as radio communication between the tower and the flagman went dead. “I thought the race seemed a little bit longer than normal,” laughs the Altario, Alberta driver, “what else can you do….just drive the wheels off until you see that checkered flag.” Coming off a controversial disqualification in Edmonton one week ago, Sidney BC’s Darrell Midgley drove hard all night finishing in second. Stony Plain Alberta’s Mike Tom started at the back of the pack in the Feature. Using the ‘bonus’ laps, Tom got by point leader Jason Beaulieu on the final lap to finish third. NPP teams had little time to savor their performance in Okotoks. The convoy of racecars embarked for Lethbridge for race number two of the southern Alberta swing. Bridge County Raceway is the fastest and largest track the NPP Series visits in 2007. Kevin Clark and defending season champion Dwight Kennedy found out early how unforgiving the track can be. Speeding down the front straight the two got together in one of the heats sending Clark into the wall. Race fans in the stands got a good view of Clark’s undercarriage for about 150 feet. “I kept my foot in it and that brought me off the wall and back down onto the racetrack. I know I would have flipped (the car) if I lifted.” Clark’s car suffered suspension damage. Kennedy’s race car appeared to be fine. Both cars however would have mechanical problems crop up in the Feature. Point leader Jason Beaulieu won the Lethbridge Feature but admits he really only had a second place car. “Dwight was running strong the entire race. Its unfortunate that his car let him down.” Leading about half the race, Kennedy’s transmission failed with ten laps to go. “Disappointed, that’s all I can say right now. We had a third and a second in the heats we were saving a win for the Feature. The car was set up perfect.” Watching last years rookie of the year (Clark) win his first Feature in Okotoks, Rod Wilde ran his best race of the season in Lethbridge finishing second in the Feature. “Been waiting a while for a trophy in this class,” says the rookie from Whitecourt, Alberta, “both my boys love the movie Cars so I told them I would bring back a ‘Piston Cup’. Very happy with how I ran tonight (Saturday).” Second place in the Feature puts Wilde within 18 points of fellow rookie driver Paul Grundberg who also calls Whitecourt, Alberta home. Darin Borysko finished third in Lethbridge. It’s the second time in five events the Edson, Alberta driver has been on the podium at the end of an NPP Feature event