EDMONTON, AB. – A major storm system held off long enough to allow Mike Tom the opportunity to win the 17th annual Oilmen's Classic at Castrol Raceway Saturday night. "I'm really excited about putting my name alongside the list of drivers that have won this event. I'm so proud of my team." Rain began falling just as Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series race teams were making their way onto the track for the Oilmen's Feature. The shower lasted several minutes then suddenly stopped. Doppler radar showed a small window of opportunity to get the race in before the next wave of heavier rainfall was to move into the region. "When it started to rain I think a lot of us (drivers) thought we were done. It was nice to see that green flag," the Stony Plain, Alberta driver started the Oilmen's Feature in the third position in his Enerbuilt Technologies #55 Chevrolet. "We made some bold set up changes that we've never tried on this car before."
Whitecourt, Alberta's Pat Fines sat on the pole and jumped out to a commanding lead. For over half the Oilmen's Feature Tom, Travis Day and Kevin Clark battled hard for track position.
TOM CELEBRATES VICTORY IN POURING RAIN
With five laps to go Tom managed to break away from the battle with Day and Clark and set his sights on the race leader. Fines was just four laps away from claiming his first ever Feature win in a NPP Late Model when Tom began his challenge for the race lead. "Pat ran an incredible race. He was a bit higher up on the track than where I wanted to run. He held his line the entire time. His car was definitely stronger on the straights where I think we were better in the corners."
Tom grabbed the race lead with four laps to go. Current NPP Series point leader Bruce Broughton, who had handling problems the entire Oilmen's Feature, managed to move up to third getting past Day. On the final corner Whitecourt's Kevin Wheeler made a bold move squeezing between Fines and Broughton to steal second place.
Moments after the checkered flag flew the rain began to fall. Mike Tom's victory and Kevin Wheeler's second place finish narrows the gap in the NPP Championship point standings. Only 55 points separates the top three drivers with one race to go in the 2010 season.
