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NPP RACER COMPETING IN SUNNY CALIFORNIA
EDMONTON, AB (October 1st) – Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series competitor Darrell Midgley will be proudly waving the Canadian flag south of the border this weekend. Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Midgley will be competing in the US ARMY 150 in his Northern Provincial Pipelines sponsored Super Late Model pavement car at Shasta Raceway Park in Anderson, California. “This is the 20th consecutive year I’ve run this race,” says the Sidney, BC driver, “Dwight Kennedy (NPP) has been just awesome over the years in helping us get to this big race event.”

Midgley hits the California asphalt in the #81 NPP Dodge this weekend

More than 40 teams will try to crack the 24 car starting grid. “It’s going to be tough,” adds Midgley, “I need to qualify well and run strong in the heats Saturday night. I’m pretty confident I’ll be able to make the big show on Sunday.” Midgley drove his NPP sponsored Dodge to a 7th place finish last year. Midgley won this event in 2001. “There aren’t too many Dodge’s running this weekend and right now I’m the only Canadian entered.” The US Army 150 is the biggest, richest Super Late Model event on the west coast with $25,000 in prize money on the line.

SRP - ANDERSON, CALIFORNIA

>FRIDAY, October 3rd
OPEN PRACTICE: 2 – 6pm

>SATURDAY, October 4th
OPEN PRACTICE: 12:30 – 3:30pm
QUALIFYING: 4:00pm
HEAT RACES: 7:00pm

>SUNDAY, October 5th
150 LAP FEATURE (24 cars start): NOON

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FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 26th (12:30PM)
Two official statements regarding last weekends incident at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton, Alberta have been released.

From driver Dwight Kennedy:
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To Castrol Raceway officials, sponsors, competitors and my fellow drivers in the NPP Series, I would like to apologize for what took place Saturday night at the track. I simply ‘lost’ it after the incident in the dash. In over 20 years of racing I have always kept my cool and have tried to set an example for my fellow racers, my daughter and my son. Taking out my frustrations in the oval pits, the way I did, was wrong.

Sincerely,
Dwight Kennedy

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From the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series :
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As many of you are aware, a serious incident took place Saturday night September 20th, 2008 at Edmonton’s Castrol Raceway involving two Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series racers. What began as an on track racing incident should have ended there. It did not. The Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series takes these actions very seriously and is acting accordingly.

The NPP Late Model Series supports Castrol Raceway’s decision of a three race suspension and 1 year probation to driver Dwight Kennedy. In addition to the Castrol Raceway suspension and probation, Mr. Kennedy will also be on probation at all tracks the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series competes at in 2009. The NPP Late Model Series is also levying a monetary fine of $2,000. This fine will be donated to Kid’s Kottage in Edmonton.

Gord Craig
NPP Series Media relations director

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McCAUGHAN WINS 2008 NPP CHAMPIONSHIP, KENNEDY DQ’D
EDMONTON, AB (September 21st) – Jason Beaulieu, the defending Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series Champion, won the final race of the 2008 season Saturday night at Castrol Raceway in his #46 All Weather Windows Dodge. However, it was Brian McCaughan who made NPP Series history this night. The Okotok’s Alberta driver became the first rookie and southern Alberta competitor to win a NPP Series Championship. McCaughan entered race action in second place just 59 points behind two-time NPP Series Champion Dwight Kennedy. “We had an unbelievable night,” says the driver of the Lucas Oil/avenuebuilt.com Chevrolet, “we did everything we needed to do. We got the big win two weeks ago which gave us the chance we needed tonight. We started off well (heat win) but then had problems in the Dash.”

BRIAN McCAUGHAN
2008 NPP LATE MODEL SERIES CHAMPION
2008 NPP ROOKIE OF THE YEAR

McCaughan’s placed 8th in the ‘A’ Dash which, at the time, meant a near impossible task of catching Kennedy in the points chase. However, an uncharacteristic and shocking move from the veteran driver at the conclusion of the ‘A’ Dash would change everything this night. Kennedy and Stony Plain Alberta’s Mike Tom were in a heated battle for third during the entire 12 lap ‘A’ Dash. At the end of lap 11, Kennedy and Tom would get together coming out of turn 4.

Tom and Kennedy swap some paint in Turn 4.

Kennedy’s race car would careen into the front straight wall losing several positions. Kennedy would manage to drive his damaged car into turn 1 and 2 only to get tapped from behind from a faster car. Kennedy would spin right in front of the pit exit as the checkered flag flew for ‘A’ Dash winner, Campbell River BC’s Jason Beaulieu. What transpired next would stun the Castrol Raceway crowd and fellow race car competitors. With Dash cars coming into the pits, Kennedy looked to be heading directly to his pit stall. Without warning, the rpm’s on his race car came up. In a 45 foot launch, Kennedy steered his #81 Dodge directly into the side of Mike Tom’s race car. Kennedy’s car suffered heavy front end damage.

Moment before impact: Kennedy (#81) takes aim at Tom (#55)

The two-time NPP Series Champion was immediately disqualified from the Feature by Castrol Raceway officials. Although the impact looked severe, most of the visible damage to Tom’s car (tire change) was repaired at the site of the crash. Tom then drove his car back to his pit stall for further repair. Hidden frame damage would be discovered later. The Kennedy disqualification would now open the door for McCaughan, who would have to finish 10th or better in the Feature to clinch the 2008 NPP championship. McCaughan would fall to ninth on lap number 2 but made the hard drive up to fourth. By lap 21, McCaughan would get by Bruce Broughton, Paul Grundberg, Kevin Wheeler and Arvid Fonstad.

Needed only to place 10th to clinch NPP Championship...finished Feature in 4th.

His fourth place was all that was needed to claim the 2008 Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series Championship and the $15,000 point fund check to go with it. “We thought we’d have to fight for it (championship) a little differently tonight. To win it this way, we are kind of freaked out. It’s just awesome and it’s slowly sinking in. That incident with Dwight though was a little unique,” adds McCaughan, “but one thing everyone has to remember, I don’t care who it is. We’re all human. We all make mistakes. And he (Dwight) made a mistake. That’s what humans do.” Defending season champion Jason Beaulieu would win his fourth Feature of the year on the final night of the 2008 NPP Season. Despite what happened after the 'A' Dash, Mike Tom would finish second in his #55 Hinton Oilfied Services Chevrolet. Kevin Clark, driving his Clark Constructions # 5 Dodge, finished third. Plans for the 2009 Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series are about to get underway. A tentative scheduled is hoped to be released before the middle of December.

NPP PIT BITS
- the NPP point lead changed hands 7 times in 2008 (NPP Series record)
- 4 different drivers lead the points chase in 2008 (NPP Series record)
- 5 of the 8 NPP Season championships awarded since 2001 have been decided by less than 40 points.
- McCaughan’s 24 point margin over Kennedy for the 2008 Championship is the third lowest in NPP Series history (6 points in 2006 // 11 points in 2001)
- this is the third time Kennedy has finished second in point since 2001.
- nine drivers surpassed the 1,000 point plateau in 2008 which beat the old record of eight set back in 2005.
- for the second time in NPP Series history the driver with the most Feature wins did not win the Season Championship. (2008: Jason Beaulieu > 4 // 02: Trevor Emond > 4)

BEAULIEU WINS FINAL RACE OF 2008 NPP SEASON
EDMONTON, AB (September 21st) – Jason Beaulieu could not repeat as champion of the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series Saturday night at Castrol Raceway. However he did manage to do what no other NPP Series driver could do in 2008. The Campbell River BC driver registered his fourth NPP Feature wins in his All Weather Windows #46 Dodge. Beaulieu also swept the final night of the NPP Season by winning his Heat and the ‘A’ Dash which gave him pole position for the Feature. At the drop of the green though, Altario Alberta’s Kevin Clark would immediately power past Beaulieu to take over the race lead. Clark would hold that lead until lap 5 when Beaulieu made a low side pass in turns 1 and 2. Only three caution flags would fly during the Feature. Beaulieu would be challenged briefly by Clark on the restarts.

Defending season Champion Beaulieu briefly held the NPP Series point lead in June.

Clark would then be passed by Stony Plain Alberta’s Mike Tom on lap 13. A final caution would fly on lap 23 which would mean a green, white checker run to the finish. Beaulieu would hang on for the victory, Mike Tom in his Hinton Oilfield Services #55 Chevrolet was second and Kevin Clark in his Clark Construction # 5 Dodge finished third. “It’s good to end the year on a winning note,” says Beaulieu, “it certainly was a different year for us. We missed a few NPP races this year due to work and other racing commitments (Modified/Pavement Late Model). I would also like to congratulate to Brian (McCaughan) on winning this years championship as well. At the first race of the year back in May I had a feeling that he was going to be tough to beat.” Okotok’s Alberta’s Brian McCaughan would finish fourth in the Lucas Oil/avenuebuilt.com #42 Chevrolet giving him the points needed to clinch the 2008 Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series Championship.