EDMONTON, AB – The ‘off-season’ can be incredibly short or agonizingly long for race car drivers. For several Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series teams, the roar of engines has not been heard since the season championship weekend back in September. Last month, the official mid-way point of the NPP Series ‘off-season,’ quietly passed by without any fanfare. “The off-season has actually flown by for me,” exclaims Darin Borysko, “we wrapped up the season in September. Then all of a sudden it was December and now January is over!” Borysko finished second in the 2012 NPP Series championship points chase in the All Weather Windows/Habitat for Humanity #35 Dodge.

“I really haven’t had time to think about racing,” admits the Edson, Alberta driver, “we haven’t seen a slowdown at work at all. It’s getting busier it seems.” Along with being a utilities supervisor, Borysko is also the Chief Bylaw Officer for the Town of Edson. “Being busy sure beats the alternative!”

Kevin Wheeler, the 2012 NPP Late Model Series Champion, has found some time to think about racing, put in a few laps, plus work on his race car during the off-season. “We managed to sneak down to Phoenix, Arizona in November to take in a NASCAR race. That was a nice break because we’ve been so busy here.” Wheeler owns KW Mechanical in Whitecourt, Alberta. “The last few years we have been going wide open as far as work. Sometimes enough is enough and you just have to put work aside.”

Wheeler has spent the last few weekends stripping down his KW Mechanical #3 Dodge. “I’ve managed to work on my race car for the first time since September. The whole body is off now.” Along with working on his race car he got back on his dirt bike and has made a few laps on a track near his home. “I plowed out a bit of an ice race track on Shrum Lake and brought out the dirt bikes and the mini-sprint car and had some fun.” Both of Wheelers son’s, Chase and Cruz, have been putting in some laps on the ice track.

Meanwhile it’s been mostly work and very little time for play for Dwight Kennedy. “I’ve managed to get away [from work] a couple of times,” says the founder of the NPP Late Model Series, “went to the NASCAR race in Phoenix in November and then went down to North Carolina with my daughter in December.”

Kennedy’s daughter Crystal got behind the wheel of a pavement Late Model for the first time and recently attended a race school in Florida. “I would have liked to have seen her on the track at the race school but I couldn’t get away.” Kennedy owns Northern Provincial Pipelines in Edson, Alberta. “I haven’t had much time to think about racing the last few months.” Kennedy finished third in the 2012 NPP Late Model Series championship points chase.