TUCSON, AZ – The three-day Chilly Willy 150 race weekend turned into a two-day event at Tucson Speedway courtesy the weather.  Periods of rain were forecast in many parts of Arizona on Sunday forcing track officials to announce the major schedule adjustment late Friday.  The change did not faze Team NPP driver Darrell Midgley who drove the Northern Provincial Pipelines #81 Dodge to a 9th place finish in Saturday night’s 11th annual Chilly Willy 150.

“I think we were actually better than that,” exclaims the Sidney, British Columbia driver, “the car unfortunately was a handful near the end.  We ran over something.  The left front tire was flat at the end of the race.”  To add to the performance woes, Midgley’s race car started sputtering thanks to fuel pump issues.”  On Saturday afternoon Midgley qualified 23rd putting him near the back of the pack.  Twenty-eight cars took the green flag.  By lap-50 the Sidney, British Columbia driver was sitting 11th.  “Everybody worked so hard to get the car to where it was.”  On lap-80 Midgley would crack the top-10 for the first-time in the race.  “We were probably a fifth or sixth place race car without the tire going down and the fuel issue but we’re pretty happy with ninth.”  This was Midgley’s best ever finish in nine Chilly Willy starts dating back to 2015.  “We ran with some top notch race cars.  It was nice to see the front of the field for a change.”  Midgley’s previous best Chilly Willy finish was 10th in 2017.

The other half of Team NPP wasn’t as fortunate Saturday night.  Brandon Carlson was credited with a 14th place finish after a hard crash with just 24-laps to go.

On lap-126, Idaho drivers Ryan Phipps and John Dillon were battling hard for 7th when the two cars spun.  Carlson, running 9th, slammed into Phipps stationary car.  “There was no stopping it.  I was on the binders, jerked the wheel left but still hit him with the right front.  Anytime you hit a parked car close to full speed it’s going to hurt.  It was a good whack.”  Both Carlson and Phipps were uninjured in the wreck.  “The car is pretty tore up. Looks like a can opener went down the right side of the car.

Carlson qualified 17th Saturday afternoon.  At the drop of the green the Victoria, British Columbia driver began his march to the front.  By lap-25, Carlson was up to 12th.  At the halfway point of the Chilly Willy 150, Carlson was running 8th.  “We worked at keeping the speed in the race car.  It definitely had that long run stability.  The top cars were right in front of me near the end.”  Carlson ran as high as 7th Saturday evening before the late race wreck.  This is the second time Carlson has finished 14th in a Chilly Willy race.  He had the same finish at the 2018 event.  The late race wreck will now expedite the work on a brand new car which is currently under construction.  “We’re still going to fix this car.  It was a really good car which will be the backup when repaired.”

Team NPP congratulates Lake Oswego, Oregon’s Kole Raz on his Chilly Willy 150 victory Saturday evening.

SIDENOTES:  Fort McMurray, Alberta’s Kyle Ried, making his Chilly Willy debut, was race leader twice in the 150-lap Feature Saturday evening.  Reid suffered a tire puncture during a 4-wide battle down the back straight trying to hold onto the lead on Lap 72.  Reid went to the pits for a tire change and was later involved in a two vehicle wreck just a few laps after returning to the track.  Reid was credited with a 19th place finish.  Sidney, British Columbia’s Dave Smith scored his best ever Chilly Willy finish crossing the finish line in 10th.

– from SATURDAY, JANUARY 20th
1. #27 Kole Raz – Lake Oswego, Oregon
2. #13 Sean Hingorani – Newport Beach, California
3. #1 Kasey Kleyn – Quincy, Washington
5. #12 Bruce Yackey – Greeley, Colorado
5. #32 Brett Yackey – Greeley, Colorado
6. #11 John Dillon – Eagle, Idaho
7. #69 Zandar Peters – Graham, Washington
8. #34 Rudy Vanderval – LaSalle, Colorado
9. #81 Darrell Midgley – Sidney, British Columbia
10.# 5 David Smith – Sidney, British Columbia
11.#63 Joe Paladenic – Sierra Vista, Arizona
12.#57 Jennifer Hall – Tucson, Arizona
13.#22 Ryan Phipps – Burley, Idaho
14.#14 Brandon Carlson – Victoria, British Columbia
15.#52 Ryan Philpott – Livermore, California
16.#54 Jake Bollman – Huntington Beach, California
17.#26 Dylan Jones – Vail, Arizona
18.#43 Kody Vanderwal – LaSalle, Colorado
19.#42 Kyle Reid – Fort McMurray, Alberta
20.#14 Vanessa Robinson – Las Cruces, New Mexico
21.# 7 Zachary Riehl – Troutdale, Oregon
22.# 3 Cassidy Hinds – Arvada, Colorado
24.# 1 Tyler Herzog – Madera, California
25.#82 Michael Scott – Hillsdale, Wyoming
26.# 5 Garrett Archer – Maple Valley, Washington
27.#8 Mariah McGriff – Vail, Arizona
28.#36 Jeff Hillock – Cedar Hills, Utah

CHILLY WILLY CHAMPIONS
2024  Kole Raz – Brighton, Colorado
2023  Preston Peltier – Brighton, Colorado
2022  Preston Peltier – Brighton, Colorado
2021  Christian McGhee – Ontario, California
2020  Preston Peltier – Brighton, Colorado
2019  Michael Scott– Cheyenne, Wyoming
2018  Chris Eggleston – Thornton, Colorado
2017  Owen Riddle – Naches, Washington
2016  Chuck Wares – Tucson, Arizona
2015  Taylor Riddle – Naches, Washington
2014  Dustin Ash – Las Vegas, Nevada