TUCSON, AZ – Team NPP has arrived in Tucson, Arizona for the start of their “off-season” race schedule.  Darrell Midgley will drive the Northern Provincial Pipelines #81 Dodge in the 9th annual Turkey Shoot race Saturday and Sunday, November 25th and 26th.  Midgley can’t wait to get behind the wheel of a race car again. “I really am looking forward to this race (at Tucson Speedway).”  This will be Midgley’s 8th appearance at the Turkey Shoot.  Midgley finished 4th in 2022 and 2nd in 2021.   Midgley says tire management will be key to staying up at the front.  “They (track promoters) have changed the tire for this race.  They’ve gone to a real racy tire this time.”  It’s been just over 3-months since Midgley was on a race track.  The Sidney, British Columbia driver was in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on August 12th and finished 8th.  “We’ve decided to run a crate motor (in Tucson),” admits Midgley, “it will hurt us in qualifying but I think for the 125-laps it will be an advantage.”

Brandon Carlson will join Darrell Midgley at Tucson Speedway in his Alien Race Cars/NPP #14 Chevrolet.  Carlson is racing under the Team NPP umbrella.  The Victoria, British Columbia driver has four top-10 finishes in four Turkey Shoot appearances at Tucson Speedway.  Carlson finished 10th at last year’s race and 6th in 2021. Both Midgley and Carlson will be taking advantage of several on-track practice sessions Friday afternoon at Tucson Speedway.

Northern Provincial Pipelines owner Dwight Kennedy will be in attendance at Tucson Speedway for the 2023 Turkey Shoot race.  The recent inductee to the Western Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame is adding some prize money to the $20,000+ purse for Super Late Model competitors.  A $500 bonus will be presented to the leader of Lap 25, 50, 75 and 100 of Sunday’s 125lap Turkey Shoot Feature.

TURKEY SHOOT FINISHES
>#81 Darrell Midgley
2022 – finished 4th
2021 – finished 2nd
2020 – did not compete (USA/Canada Covid border closure)
2019 – finished 17th (crash)
2018 – finished 5th
2017 – finished 14th
2016 – finished 11th
2015 – finished 8th

>#14 Brandon Carlson
2022 – finished 10th
2021 – finished 6th
2020 – did not compete (USA/Canada Covid border closure)
2019 – finished 6th
2018 – did not compete (birth of son)
2017 – finished 9th

SIDENOTE:  For the first time in Turkey Shoot history, three Canadian provinces (British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan) will be represented on the track in the Super Late Model class this weekend.  Two Canadian drivers will be making their official Tucson Speedway debut.  Hayden Hoogeveen from Biggar, Saskatchewan and Tyler Emond from Leduc, Alberta have made the 3,000 kilometer (1,800 mile) journey south to Tucson, Arizona.  Tyler Emond is son of 3-time NPP Late Model Series champion Trevor Emond who competed hard against Darrell Midgley in the same series more than a decade ago.

Kyle Reid from Fort McMurray, Alberta and Dave Smith from Sidney, British Columbia will also be flying the Canadian flag at Tucson Speedway.

TURKEY SHOOT 125
Tucson Speedway

>FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24th
1:30 – 5:30pm  Practice (SLM/Sprints)
5:30pm   Can-Am Sprint Car Race (20 laps)

>SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 25th
10:00am – 1:30pm – Practice (SLM/Sprints)
2:15pm – Super Late Model Qualifying
4:00pm – Racing featuring 50-lap SLM preliminaries

>SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26th
10:00am – 11:30am – Practice (SLM/Sprints/Hobby Stocks)
12:45pm – Opening Ceremonies
1:00pm – Racing (Sprints/Hobby Stocks/Turkey Shoot 125)