MODIFIED NIGHTS
LAS VEGAS, NV. - For the second time in three weeks a competitor from the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series has played the 'motorsports dice' at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Jason Beaulieu, the 2007 NPP Late Model Series Champion, competed at the 15th annual Duel in the Desert at the LVMS Dirt Track. A record 253 IMCA Modified competitors filled the pit area in Las Vegas Nevada hoping to be part of the elite group that would run Saturday nights $7,777 to win Feature event. "This is the fourth time I've raced the Duel," says the Campbell River, British Columbia driver, "got taken out [crash] and blew the engine the first two times I ran here. Last year I missed running the Saturday night Feature by just one spot." Heat and Qualifying races began last Thursday where a mediocre performance was not an option. "With this many cars you needed a good pill draw, a ton of luck and you had to be on your game." Beaulieu found himself starting at or near the back of the pack several times in his Alien Chassis #90 Modified at this year's Duel. "It's the luck of the draw. That's just part of the deal."
BEAULIEU IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ACTION AT LVMS
(photos courtesy Roger Seymore Photography - Las Vegas, NV)
Beaulieu finished 5th in his 'B' Feature Thursday night. Friday night saw Beaulieu winning his 'B' Feature and would start the 'A' Feature at the back of the pack. "Finished 11th in this race," exclaims Beaulieu, "the car worked really well Friday night." Beaulieu would race on the LVMS Dirt Track just one time Saturday. "This was a win or go home race," explains Beaulieu, "we didn't win." Beaulieu finished 3rd in the Last Chance race ending his weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Jeremy Pane of Nixa, Missouri was this year's Duel in the Desert champion. "With all the competitors that were here and missing out on running the big race by just three spots, I'm still very pleased with the weekend." A tally of the Duel points put Beaulieu in 26th place out of 253 drivers in attendance. The Duel in the Desert weekend was Beaulieu's last scheduled competition of the 2012 season. The veteran racer won't sit idle for long. He already has plans in place for the first two months of 2013. "Early in the new year I will be in Casa Grande, Arizona with the Modified for a week-long event [Jan 4th - 13th] then I'll be heading to Florida in February to race Speedweeks."
- Jason Beaulieu has 19 Feature wins and 21 Heat wins in the NPP Late Model Series. Beaulieu won the 2007 NPP Series Championship. (4th in points - 2008, 2nd in points - 2009)
- Beaulieu's son Chris finished 5th in the 2012 NPP Series Championship points chase.
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