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Calgary, AB (January 21, 2007) - New rules for 2007 requiring drivers to reserve their car numbers and to pay an upfront sanctioning fee has enabled the NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Series, for the first time, to publish a Driver's Roster for the upcoming season.

“ This is a significant endorsement by the teams, drivers and their sponsors of the direction of the Series.”

-- Craig Ball, NLMCS President

The roster currently stands at forty-two reserved car numbers.

Also new for 2007, is the rule requiring drivers to race in a minimum of three of the scheduled events in order to be eligible to collect points for NEWALTA Championship Points fund and earn the year-end bonus monies. Drivers may register the car numbers at any time including after the season starts but cannot earn points for events that they may have raced in an unregistered car.

The Series office would like to recognize the commitment of the drivers to the upcoming season. "Forty two cars is a good number and represents solid growth for the Series" said Series president Craig Ball. "This is a significant endorsement by the teams, drivers and their sponsors on the direction of the Series."

"Being able to pull drivers from a pool of this quality and size means the fans and sponsors should see great racing again this season at every stop on the tour."

The roster features champions, veterans, rookies and all the regulars from last season.

Returning are past NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Series champions Craig Ball (2006 and 2005), Barry Bischoff (2004), Bill Royce (2003) and Trevor Emond (2002). Emond is also a three-time Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series (Dirt) champion.

Coming off a dominating year where he won every race except one on the 2006 schedule, 2005 and 2006 NAPA Legends PRO Touring champion Randy Thompson moves to Super Late Model racing and will join two other Legends champions already in the NEWALTA Series, 2002 Legends champ Gary Lister and 2001/2000 Legends champ Craig Ball.

Veterans Garth Hazlehurst, six-time Super Late Model champion at Bridge City Speedway in Saskatoon, is back for another year after finishing sixth in the NEWALTA Late Model Challenge Series last season. Trevor Boys with over 100 NASCAR Winston/Nextel Cup starts and Alberta stock car racing legend Marshall Mormyluk have both reserved car numbers for 2007.

Nearly half of the roster will be competing for CodeWest Rookie of the Year award. Calgary's Blair Snow and IMCA Stock Car driver Tom TJ Cassidy join 2004 IMCA Stock Car champ Ryan Fee to battle a strong Edmonton rookie crop led  by Rob Dowler, Fred Whiteman, Kevin McMillan, Greg Moir, Wes Ratzlaff, Greg Ratzlaff and Ernie Ricard. Also of note is Surrey, BC based rookie Craig Melnyk who will challenge Lloydminster, SK rookie driver Devin Kopeck and rookie Jon Teppin from Barrhead, AB for most miles pulling the hauler.

2006 race winner Chris Stephenson leads the list of 2006 drivers returning for 2007. Grant Brown, Brian Levant, 2006 CodeWest Rookie of the Year Dean Craig will join former Western Racing League regulars Steve Lee, Chris Skelton, Jeff Reimer, Alex Leschenko, George Demers and Mark Howling on track this season.

The complete roster follows.