By Gord Craig
N.P.P. Late Model Series
WHITECOURT, AB – For the third time in four weekends a contingent of competitors from the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series will be at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Although many will be in attendance as spectators, several will be directly involved in the inaugural Lucas Oil Sprint Car Nationals event. Whitecourt Alberta’s Paul Grundberg, the first NPP Series driver to win a Feature event in the United States, is sponsoring the Sprint Car that four-time World of Outlaws Champion Donny Schatz will be competing in.
"I started out racing a Sprint Car (Rookie of the Year in Edmonton - 2002) before coming over to the NPP Series (2007),” says the owner of Carlan Oilfield Services in Whitecourt, “I still have a bit of a soft spot for these open wheeled race cars.” The Sprint Car that Schatz will drive is part of a two-car team owned by Whitecourt, Alberta’s Richard Saumure. “Richard is a huge supporter of racing so it’s nice to be able to help him out. He always runs the best equipment. Having a high profile driver like Schatz behind the wheel is a bonus.”In September Sprint Car driver Jason Solwold helped Saumure become the first Canadian car owner to win the 2010 American Sprint Car Series Northwest Championship. Solwold, who also won the 2010 Gold Cup in Edmonton, will also be racing in Vegas with sponsorship from Northern Provincial Pipelines in Edson, Alberta. Over 70 race teams have already pre-registered for this inaugural event. Both Solwold (Burlington, WA) and Schatz (Fargo, ND) are considered early favorites to win.