TUCSON, AZ (January 21) – The short winter hibernation is over for Team Northern Provincial Pipelines Ltd.  Tucson Speedway hosts its 5th annual Chilly Willy Super Late Model race January 25th – 27th.  British Columbia’s Darrell Midgley and Brandon Carlson will once again pilot the Team NPP #81 and #81C Dodge Chargers.  Both drivers are feeling confident going into the race weekend in Arizona.  “Multiple night events is something new (for this race),” says Darrell Midgley, “it’s pretty exciting.”  This will be Midgley’s fourth consecutive Chilly Willy race.  The Sidney, BC driver has led laps at the two previous Chilly Willy events.  His best finish was 10th at last years big show.  “We need to get through the races (50 Lap Features) on Thursday and Friday.  For Saturday nights 150 lap race, the key to winning is to conserve tires.”  At Tucson Speedway’s Turkey Shoot 125 in November, Midgley ended 2017 with a 14th place finish in his brand new Super Late Model.  “We definitely had something in this race until a lapped car got into us.”  Midgley was running 7th when the contact occurred.  “It was a good race car, we put down some good lap times.  I was very happy with it.”

There will be a different vantage point for Victoria, BC’s Brandon Carlson at this year’s Chilly Willy event.  “This will be my third year in a row at the Chilly Willy.  I was crewing for Darrell Midgley at the first two.  This will be the first time that I’m behind the wheel.”  Carlson made his Team NPP debut last November in Tucson and finished 9th at the Turkey Shoot 125 event.  “I want to see the 81 car up front (this weekend).  My result in November was a reflection of me playing the tire strategy a little bit wrong.  That’s where I shot myself in the foot a little bit.”

Last November Carlson was battling for the lead in Tucson before the midway point of the race.  “I think we proved we could run up front.  We ran in the top five for a good portion of the race.  Tire conservation is huge here.”  More than 40 Super Late Model race teams have registered for this year’s Chilly Willy.  A brief two-hour practice sessions is scheduled in the Arizona desert on Thursday afternoon.  “We are ready to go.”

> THURSDAY, JANUARY 25th
Carlson qualified 22nd 16.310 (-0.563) for Thursday nights race.
Midgley qualified 23rd 16.327 (-0.580) for Thursday nights race.
Feature #1 (50 laps) – Midgley finished 14th (Winner: Noah Gragson – Las Vegas, Nevada)
Feature #2 (50 laps) – Carlson finished 8th (Winner: Preston Peltier – Brighton, Colorado)

> FRIDAY, JANUARY 26th
Carlson qualified 19th 16.058 (-0.515)
Midgley qualified 20th 16.066 (-0.523)
Feature #1 (50 laps) – Carlson finished 9th (Winner: Christian McGehee-Ontario, California)
Feature #2 (50 laps) – Midgley finished 18th (crash) (Winner: Jace Hansen – Denver, Colorado)
Midgley will be running the Team NPP backup car for Saturday nights Feature event.

> SATURDAY, JANUARY 27th
Chilly Willy 150 (36 car field)
=Carlson finished 14th=
=Midgley finished 18th=