VICTORIA, BC  – Team NPP and driver Darrell Midgley will not be participating in this weekend’s 2024 season opener at Tucson Speedway.  Several weeks back there was a sudden jump in airfare and accommodation rates which forced Midgley to make a snap decision.  “Hotels and air flights were just outrageous,” exclaims the Victoria, British Columbia driver, “it was going to be a thousand dollars a head just to fly to Arizona.”  The return flight back to Victoria, British Columbia, although not as expensive, was still going to be just over $700 per-person.  “Add hotel, rental cars and meals and it was pretty hard to justify the cost of going racing for one night.”

Midgley has competed in five Tucson Speedway season openers since 2018.  His best finish was 2nd in 2022.  “It’s tough. I really enjoy running there.”  Back in January, Midgley finished 9th at the 2024 Chilly Willy race.  The Team NPP hauler remained in Arizona after the January race. The original plan was that Midgley would run the Tucson Speedway season opener once again.   “We’re going to hold off for now and race Eureka.”  The Team NPP hauler will leave Tucson, Arizona the second weekend of May and head west to Redwood Acres Raceway.  The Eureka, California track holds it 2024 season opener on May 18th.  Midgley competed at the 2023 RAR season opener and finished 2nd.

BREAKING:  Behind the scenes “issues” at Redwood Acres has forced track officials to postpone the start of their 2024 race season.  Darrell Midgley and Team NPP had planned on competing in Eureka, California at the May 18th season opener.  Instead of heading west, the Team NPP race hauler will now head North when it departs Tucson, Arizona early next week.  The new destination will be Stateline Speedway in Post Falls, Idaho.  This track, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season, hosts the Super Late Model 125 on Saturday May 18th.   Midgley last competed at Stateline Speedway back in 2014 where he finished 10th.  This race is part of the Northwest Super Late Model Series 2024 schedule which features 10 races at 7 different tracks in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Montana.