EDMONTON, AB. – The Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series crowned its seventh different champion in ten seasons at the Lucas Slick Mist Season Championship race on Saturday night. Spruce Grove, Alberta’s Bruce Broughton won the 2010 NPP Late Model Series Championship with a fourth place finish in a hard fought Feature event at Castrol Raceway. “Couldn’t be more proud of my team,” says the driver of the Fraser Shingling and Exteriors #61 Chevrolet, “I could not have done it without my family and my crew.” Broughton last won a Season Championship in 2001 when he and his brother (Brent) drove to the Castrol Raceway Super Stock championship. He was the NPP Series Rookie of the Year in 2005.

“We definitely earned it with the teams and drivers we competed against this season. They all raced hard. We were lucky to beat them for a chance at the big trophy.” This is Broughton’s first ever NPP Series Championship. With temperatures hovering around 3C (37F) Saturday night, Stony Plain, Alberta’s Mike Tom grabbed the final checkered flag of the 2010 season and finished the year just 19 points behind Broughton in the Chase for the NPP Series Championship.

This is the second closest Championship points finish in NPP Series history. “It was a crazy year that’s for sure,” indicates the driver of the Hinton Oilfield Services #55 Chevrolet, “we ran as hard as we could. I’m really proud of the whole team and everything we did this year.” For the third consecutive race Kevin Wheeler drove his KW Mechanical #3 Dodge to a second place finish in a NPP Feature event. “The track was very fast tonight, indicates the Whitecourt, Alberta driver, “Mike drove a good race tonight. I was aiming for him but at the same time was worried about Curtis (Moore) getting by me.” Wheeler finished the NPP Championship points chase in third.

NPP SERIES CHAMPIONS
2010 Bruce Broughton; Spruce Grove, Alberta
2009 Darrell Midgley; Sidney, British Columbia
2008 Brian McCaughan; Okotoks, Alberta
2007 Jason Beaulieu; Campbell River, British Columbia
2006 Dwight Kennedy; Edson, Alberta
2005 Trevor Emond; Leduc, Alberta
2004 Trevor Emond; Leduc, Alberta
2003 Trevor Emond; Leduc, Alberta
2002 Dennis MacEachern; Edson, Alberta
2001 Dwight Kennedy; Edson, Alberta

NPP RACE NOTES
– Broughton is the seventh different driver in ten seasons to win a NPP Series Championship.
– the 19 point difference between Broughton and Tom in the final standings is the second closest in NPP Series history.
– Tom was the first driver this season to win the Feature from the pole position.
– only four Feature wins have come from the pole the last two NPP seasons.
– Chevrolet swept all Features events in the 2010 NPP season.
– for the first time in NPP Series history, Dodge was kept out of the Feature win column in 2010.
– Kevin Wheeler won his first heat race since July 11, 2009. Wheeler finished third in NPP Championship points, which is a personal best.
– Curtis Moore’s 3rd place finish in Saturday nights Feature was his best showing since May 31st, 2008 (2nd).
– Travis Day finished fifth in NPP Series Championship points after a fifth place finish in Saturday nights Feature. It’s Days best ever season in a NPP Late Model.
– Only two yellow flags flew in NPP race action Saturday night. Both were for separate Heat race spins by Tom and Broughton. The Feature event ran caution free.