TUCSON, AZ – It was one year ago (October 28, 2017) that Darrell Midgley had his best ever finish at Tucson Speedway. When the checkered flag flew Saturday night, Midgley matched his high finish once again at the Arizona facility.  Despite finishing 6th, the official results don’t show how well Midgley and Team NPP ran in the Arizona desert.  The race day started off with Midgley qualifying the Northern Provincial Pipelines Ltd./Alien Race Cars #81 Dodge in 4th.  For more than half the 75 lap Feature, the Sidney, British Columbia driver ran 3rd or better. Midgley was running in podium finish territory by lap 21.  The first of three caution flags flew on lap 25 slowing Midgleys march to the front.  “The cautions kinda killed us,” admits Midgley, “every time there was a caution flag it seems we we’re just never as good (on the track) after.”  It may have felt that way however Midgley was putting down lap times faster that the race leader by the midway point of the race.  On lap 40 Midgley moved into second as Greeley, Colorado’s Brett Yakey savored a half second lead on the field.  On lap 42 the second caution flag flew for a single car spin.  The cushion that Yakey had built up was gone.

 STRONG RUN FOR MIDGLEY IN ARIZONA

Midgley tried to make his move on the race leader after the re-start.  “We had a couple of good looks at him a few times. In the end, he kept the tires under his car and I didn’t, so that was the difference.”  The precise handling of Midgleys car began to disappear as his car began losing tire grip.  “I really felt we had a legitimate opportunity to win this race tonight.  It was a really good race car.”  Ironically Midgley would have been celebrating a second place finish at this point (lap 50) but before the race day began, track officials announced they were adding 25 extra laps to the Feature.  The race outlook began to change for Midgley soon after the final caution came out with 25 laps to go.  “The car really was loose after the final caution.  It was too free.  I just couldn’t get back to the throttle.”  Less than a dozen laps away from his best ever finish at Tucson Speedway, Midgley began losing track position.  “It’s just a minor, minor adjustment we have to make on the car that will get us to the end.”  With 13 laps to go, Midgley gave up second spot.  In the three laps that followed, Midgley dropped another three positions.  “I’m actually glad we ran those extra laps.  It helps us to know where we need to be for the longer races.”  Despite driving a race car that was a half second off the pace, Midgley hung on for the last 10 laps and crossed the finish line in sixth.  “We will tune the car better,” adds Midgley, “we have a good direction for this car at the next race.”  That next race for Darrell Midgley and Team NPP is the Turkey Shoot 125 the end of November at Tucson Speedway.

NOTE: With guidance and some coaching from Midgley, Victoria, British Columbia’s David Smith finished 9th in his debut appearance at Tucson Speedway in his Shockwave #5 Dodge.

SUPER LATE MODEL FEATURE (top 10)
1. #32 Brett Yackey – Greeley, Colorado
2. #22 Paul Banghart – Tucson, Arizona
3. #25 Brandon Farrington – Tucson, Arizona
4. #51 Sean Bray – Tucson, Arizona
5. #21 Kole Raz – Lake Oswego, Oregon
6. #81 Darrell Midgley – Sidney, British Columbia
7. #63 Joe Paladenic – Hereford, Arizona
8. #65 Gary Lavoie – Maricopa, Arizona
9. # 5 David Smith – Victoria, British Columbia
10.#01 Ron Searle – Tucson, Arizona