EDMONTON, AB. – The race cars have been built and decaled. Now only the seats need to be fitted as Western Canada’s toughest racing Series ‘on the dirt’ welcomes some NASCAR star power to its line-up for a special night of racing. This Wednesday (July 31) the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series welcomes Ken Schrader, Dave Blaney and two-time Daytona 500 Champion’s Michael Waltrip and Sterling Marlin to the inaugural ‘Race of Champions’ at Edmonton’s Castrol Raceway. “This is the furthest west [in Canada] I’ve ever raced,” says Concord, North Carolina’s Ken Schrader, ” a couple years ago we raced the IMCA Modified in Manitoba [Winnipeg] and Saskatchewan [Estevan]. Schrader has already run 45 shows in 2013. “We get to come to Edmonton and meet a bunch of new race fans. I am really looking forward to it.”

Just one week ago both Schrader and Dave Blaney were competing on the dirt at Eldora Speedway near Rossburg, Ohio. Schrader was the pole sitter (finished 14th) in the Camping World Truck Series points event. Blaney finished ninth (qualified 26th) as NASCAR returned to the ‘dirt’ for the first time in more than 40 years. “Once the helmet goes on its time to go racing!” Sterling Marlin last competed on the NASCAR circuit three years ago but still gets behind the wheel of a race car at short track events.

Marlin has two wins on the pavement in 2013 at the storied Fairgrounds Speedway in Nashville, Tennessee. Michael Waltrip meanwhile is coming of a fifth place finish at the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR race at Daytona International Speedway back on July 6th. The NPP Late Model Series will be running its full format in Edmonton on Wednesday night. Open wheel ‘360’ Sprint Cars will also be competing at the inaugural Race of Champions event. Defending NPP Late Model Series Champion Kevin Wheeler is the current points leader.

3:00PM – Spectator Gates Open
3:30PM – Public autograph session begins
6:30PM – Pre-race ceremonies
7:00PM – Racing

Castrol Raceway admission:
Reserved tickets – $50.00
General tickets – $40.00
Youth – ½ price

MICHAEL WALTRIP – North Carolina
Two-time Daytona 500 Champion
Owner of Michael Waltrip Racing
Television analyst on Fox Sports and Speed TV

KEN SCHRADER – North Carolina
Raced NASCAR full-time for over 20 seasons
NASCAR Rookie of the Year in 1985
Running a part-time NASCAR schedule in 2013
Owns Ken Schrader Racing (NASCAR K & N Series race cars)
Set the pole position at the inaugural NASCAR Truck Series race on the ‘dirt’ at Eldora Speedway in Ohio. (Finished 14th)

STERLING MARLIN – Tennessee
Two-time Daytona 500 Champion
NASCAR Point leader in 2002 with 7 races remaining. Broke his back in bad crash ending his season. Retired from NASCAR in 2010
Still runs the short track scene in Tennessee

DAVE BLANEY – North Carolina
1995 World of Outlaws Sprint Car Champion
NASCAR driver for 16 years
Finished 9th at the inaugural NASCAR Truck Series event on the ‘dirt’ at Eldora Speedway in Ohio.