EDMONTON, AB – The 2009 race season has turned into an exercise in extreme patience and frustration for race teams of the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series.  “We have only been on the race track once this month,” says NPP Series announcer Gord Craig, “since the beginning of July we have completed only three events.  It’s been one of those seasons where rain and bad weather have been major factors before the green flag even drops.”  On Friday afternoon (August 14) a major weather system took aim at Lethbridge, Alberta’s Bridge County Raceway.  This same system marched northwards and lashed out at Rocky Mountain Raceway near Okotoks.  “It’s almost ironic that after weeks of drought like conditions in Southern Alberta it would rain at two tracks where we were scheduled to race.”  Track management in Lethbridge immediately cancelled their event (flooded track) for Saturday night which in turn led to the NPP Series making a difficult decision to cancel its Sunday race event in Okotoks due to an uncertain weather forecast.

“Every race we lose is a lost opportunity to gain ground in the standings,” says Sherwood Park, Alberta’s Curtis Moore, “it’s been a tough year to build any type of momentum.”  The NPP Late Model Series has completed just seven race events this season.  “I haven’t even gone through a single barrel of fuel,” says the driver of the Air Power Systems #80 Dodge, “the weather has thrown a wrench into the season that’s for sure.”  Moore sits 9th in the NPP Series Championship points chase just 119 points back of a top five position.  Only five races remain in the 2009 schedule.  After completing a record 17 scheduled race events in 2008, Craig says the NPP Series is close to tying a race record on the other end of the spectrum.  “If we don’t lose any more races this season we will have 12 completed events.”  NPP Late Model Series race teams completed just 11 (record) events back in 2004.  “That was the year Trevor Emond won his second consecutive NPP Championship,” adds Craig, “it’s also interesting to note that Darrell Midgley, Jason Beaulieu and Mike Tom were rookie drivers that season.”  Midgley, Beaulieu and Tom currently sit first, second and third in the NPP Series Championship points chase this season.

“I think we have a good chance at catching Jason,” says Stony Plain Alberta’s Mike Tom, who’s just 21 points behind the 2007 NPP Champion, “Midgley on the other hand has been running awfully strong this season.  We’ve had some pretty good battles with the #14 car.”  Tom has four top five finishes this season including one win in his Hinton Oilfield Services #55 Chevrolet.  “With the amount of rainouts and lost races this season we cannot afford to have any bad finishes the rest of the way.”  Darrell Midgley agrees.  “It’s not about winning right now it’s about consistency.” The Sidney, British Columbia driver has a 138 point lead in his Lucas Oil #14 Dodge. “if we continue at our current pace we should be ok.  However we cannot get complacent.  That’s the worst thing to do.”

Three of the five remaining race events in 2009 will be competed at Edmonton’s Castrol Raceway, the home track of the NPP Late Model Series.  Two of the events will be held south of the border at Grays Harbor Raceway in Elma, Washington.  Although the 2009 season has been dogged by bad weather conditions, the wrap up to the season could be one of the most memorable in the nine year history of the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series.

>FRIDAY, August 28th
Gates at 4pm
Racing at 6:30pm

>SATURDAY, August 29th
Gates at 2pm
Pit Party at 3pm
Racing at 6:30pm

CASTROL RACEWAY ADMISSION
-General $40 (Saturday or Sunday)
-Weekend Pass $65

-Reserved $50 (Saturday or Sunday)
-Weekend Reserved $85