@CastrolRaceway • EDMONTON, AB – Despite a constant challenge in the Feature from defending season champion Mark Miller and two-time NPP Series champion Dwight Kennedy, Darrell Midgley managed to lead all laps to win the Saturday night Feature in Edmonton.
“We ran well all night,” says the driver of the Integra Tire (Edson) #14 Dodge. “In the Heats we ran well. We started at the back of both [Heat and Dash] and got to the front.”
Midgley’s victory was his second of the season and his fourth consecutive Feature event win dating back to the end of the 2014 season.
“We just had a really good car tonight. When things go your way, they go your way. When they don’t go your way, it’s a real struggle. Right now things are rolling our way.”
The victory gives the Sidney, British Columbia driver the points lead in the Northern Provincial Pipelines Late Model Series standings.
Celebrations however were briefly muted shortly after the checkered flag flew. Upon post-race weigh in, both Midgley and second place Miller, crossed the scales under the legal NPP Series weight limit (3,100lbs). According to the NPP Series rule book, if a car weighs in light after a race, adding fuel is allowed to make weight. In the end, both Midgley and Miller did meet the required minimum weight rule and there finishing positions stood.
Mark Miller was breathing a sigh of relief.
“It was a battle all night for us, indicates the driver of the A1 Autobody #69 Chevrolet, “the car seemed to hook up in the Feature.”
Miller finished second in the Qualifying Heat but struggled in the Dash.
“Our overheating problem was still a little bit there. The guys did a good job. We got the car hooked and that’s why we did as good as we did.”
Miller’s second place finish in the Feature moved the Calgary, Alberta driver into a two-way tie for fourth in the Championship point standings with Stony Plain, Alberta’s Bruce Broughton who finished fifth in the Feature. Edson, Alberta’s Dwight Kennedy finished third in the Saturday night Feature after starting on the pole. This was the 20th time that Kennedy has started a NPP Series from the pole position since the 2001 season Broughton who finished fifth in the Feature.
“Shawn [Dwights son] set the car up right,” acknowledges the driver of the NPP #81 Dodge, “a different spring in the back of the car took the wheel spin away.”
Kennedy says running his car on the dry track in Edmonton Saturday night was not the handful it was at the season opener.
“The car is always good on a tacky track but on a dry slick track it’s never been good. These have been the track conditions here [Edmonton] the past several seasons.”
With his third place finish, Kennedy moved from fourth to second in the NPP Series Championship point standings. After enjoying holding onto top spot in the NPP Series Championship points chase since the 2015 season opener, Shawn Kennedy finished sixth in his ill handling race car Saturday night. Kennedy lost two spots in the points chase and now sits third.
Next race for the NPP Late Model Series is Friday and Saturday night (July 3rd/4th) at Castrol Raceway in Edmonton.
The NPP Series is the support class for Canada’s oldest open wheel race the Gold Cup. This year’s Gold Cup is in memory of longtime track supporter Jim Albert.
FEATURE
1.(2) #14 Darrell Midgley – Sidney, British Columbia (MOV 0.716seconds)
2.(6) #69 Mark Miller – Calgary, Alberta
3.(1) #81 Dwight Kennedy – Edson, Alberta
4.(5) #18 Dean Deatherage – Beaumount, Alberta
5.(4) #61 Bruce Broughton – Stony Plain, Alberta
6.(7) # 7 Shawn Kennedy – Edson, Alberta
7.(3) #78 Ken Clark – Edson, Alberta
8.(8) #33 Jay Carr – Devon, Alberta
9.(9) #90 Marc Hobe'(R) – Sylvan Lake, Alberta
DASH
1. #81 Dwight Kennedy
2. #14 Darrell Midgley
3. #78 Ken Clark
4. #61 Bruce Broughton
5. #18 Dean Deatherage
6. #69 Mark Miller
7. # 7 Shawn Kennedy
8. #33 Jay Carr
DNS # 2 Marc Hobe'(R)
HEAT
1. #14 Darrell Midgley
2. #69 Mark Miller
3. # 7 Shawn Kennedy
4. #18 Dean Deatherage
5. #61 Bruce Broughton
6. #81 Dwight Kennedy
7. #33 Jay Carr
8. #78 Ken Clark
9. # 2 Marc Hobe'(R)======================================================================================================
Northern Provincial Pipelines Ltd., based in Edson, Alberta, is the title sponsor of the NPP Late Model Series which brings big league racing to motorsports fans in Western Canada.
{fcomment}
Discussion about this post