The big boys are coming to town to race this season
The Northern Provincial Pipelines (NPP) Late Model Race Series confirmed this season they will hit the track in Drumheller at Dinosaur Downs Speedway.
The NPP series has enjoyed nine years of racing in Alberta, although its roots reach back much further. Their website has 23 teams slated for the 2009 season in one of the most competitive racing classes in Canada, and in fact one, of the highest purses in the country as well.
The series is run on a point system, and last year paid out more than $250,000. Also last seaon it ran its first races in the United States. Hobby stocks these are not.
To envision the NPP Late Model Series, picture modern NASCAR style racers, only racing on a short dirt track. The cars reach speeds well over 100 kilometres per hours on the tight track.
Races in Drumheller are scheduled for June 28 and August 16. This is not the first time they have raced in Drumheller. They raced at Hidden Valley Motorsports Park a couple years ago.
Dinosaur Downs Raceway is currently constructing the 3/8 mile oval track. McLean Construction is working on the track as well as Kevin Clark construction. Clark is also a driver in the NPP series.
This will not be the only racing action this season. They Stampede and Ag Society is negotiating to bring the Alberta Outlaw Modified class. The Outlaws fall somewhere between stock cars and sprint cars. They run a stock chassis with a stock passenger car frame and use stock suspension parts. They are however, open wheeled and most of the sheet metal is custom made.
The track may also host a sprint car event. The Alberta Sprint Tour is on hiatus this year due to the economy.
While Dinosaur Downs Raceway is attracting some exciting racing, there will still be room for the local guys to race. Vice president of the Ag Society Larry Duxbury says they will have the hobby stock class and the claimers, and these will run on the same feature days as the other racing events. This is sure to bring out local fans to the races.
The NPP Series has 21 races scheduled this season.
“The goal was to make this years schedule more family friendly for race teams,” says NPP Series announcer Gord Craig. “We were aiming for a one weekend on and one weekend off style format so teams could have some family time away from the track. I think that has been accomplished.”
