Sidney, BC/Edson, AB – Two Team NPP drivers compete on the pavement and on the dirt in the province of British Columbia the final long weekend of summer. Although the racing surfaces are different, Sidney, British Columbia’s Darrell Midgley and Edson, Alberta’s Josh Shuflada have nearly identical drive-times getting to their respective race

tracks. Midgley will be traveling 3-hours north (from home) to Black Creek, British Columbia and Saratoga Speedway.

 

Shuflada heads 3-hours west to Valemount, British Columbia and Rocky Mountain Speedway.

 

The Reg Midgley Canada 200 goes Friday and Saturday, August 30th and 31st at Saratoga Speedway. This is the second time that Saratoga Speedway has hosted the Canada 200. The track inherited the race after Westshore Motorsports Park (formerly Western Speedway) shut its doors at the end of the 2022 season. Western Speedway was home to western Canada’s largest Late Model race since 1972. Midgley is a two-time Canada 200 winner (1998 and 1999). He finished 4th in 2022.

 

“This race holds some special meaning to me with it being named after my dad. That’s why I’m here.” The Sidney, British Columbia driver was at Saratoga Speedway for the 2023 Canada 200 but not as a competitor. “I spotted for Daryl (Crocker) last year.” Daryl Crocker is Midgley’s son-in-law. Crocker is registered for this year’s event. “I’ll race him fair and he’ll race me fair. He’s just another guy on the track at this point.” Midgley admits Saratoga Speedway is a different track to race at. “The track is kinda shaped like a ‘D’. To be honest I’ve never had much success here but I hope to turn things around this weekend.” This will be Darrell Midgley’s only Canadian race of the 2024 season in the Northern Provincial Pipelines #81 Dodge. Late Model teams qualify on Friday and race on Saturday.

 

Josh Shuflada returns to Rocky Mountain Speedway for the third time in 2024. “The car is all repaired from the Rimbey race. Put in a new head gasket too. We’re all excited about getting on the track this weekend.” The Valemount, British Columbia facility is holding its SS Brushing Invitational race weekend Saturday and Sunday. “This has been the best track we’ve raced at so far this year,” admits Shuflada, “very smooth. You can race three-wide. Edmonton was good but it was a bit rough in some spots.” Shuflada has three wins in four starts at Valemount this season in the Northern Provincial Pipelines/RCE #81 Dodge. “Other than Rimbey, I’m very happy with how my season is going.”

 

Shuflada was DQ’d for rough driving in Rimbey. “That’s in the rear view mirror now. Gotta focus on what’s ahead.” For the second race weekend in a row Shuflada will be on the track with a family member. “My dad (Terry) is going to run the #4 again.” Terry Shuflada finished 5th in his official racing debut in the RCE #4 Dodge. Shuflada senior hopes to repeat his performance in his debut at Rocky Mountain Speedway. Gates open Saturday and Sunday in Valemount at 11:00am with racing at Noon. 

 

Northern Provincial Pipelines Ltd., based in Edson, Alberta, has been a proud sponsor and supporter of motorsports since 1991.

 

Daytona, Florida - NASCAR Canada, presented by Pinty’s and Evirum, is heading to Canadian Tire Motorsport Park (CTMP) this Saturday and Sunday for the WeatherTech 200. This event marks the final road course race of the 2024 season, with the remaining two races taking place on oval tracks.

 

Twenty-eight drivers are set to compete in Sunday’s WeatherTech 200, a 53-lap event. Louis-Philippe Dumoulin will proudly represent WeatherTech in the No. 47 WeatherTech Canada / OmniFab Dodge. During a recent media Zoom call, Dumoulin expressed his desire to win this race for his main sponsor. In May, he secured a 3rd-place finish in the Assa Abloy Accentra 200.

 

Gary Klutt, a strong contender for the win, will be behind the wheel of the No. 59 Legendary Motorcar Company Dodge. In May, Klutt earned the E3 Spark Plugs Award but couldn’t convert his pole position into a victory, finishing second behind Marc-Antoine Camirand in the No. 96 GM Paillé Chevrolet. The Ontario native will be striving to return to CTMP’s winner’s circle, a feat he last achieved nine years ago.

 

Sam Fellows, racing in front of his home crowd, is looking to secure another Top 5 finish. He claimed 4th place in May aboard the No. 87 AER / Polysleep / MOBIL 1 Chevrolet, marking his best career finish in NASCAR Canada.

 

Home crowd favorites Jason Hathaway, driving the No. 3 Assa Abloy / Accentra / Leland Industries Chevrolet, and D.J. Kennington, piloting the No. 17 Castrol Edge / CIM Metals / Brimestone Games Dodge, are both eager to secure their first wins of 2024. CTMP might just be the venue where they realize this goal.

 

Current points leader Marc-Antoine Camirand, with 428 points, will be on track, aiming to defend his May victory. His Paillé Racing teammate, Andrew Ranger, will pilot the No. 27 Chevrolet. Ranger, coming off a win at ICAR last Saturday, is second in the standings with 405 points. NAPA Racing’s Kevin Lacroix, currently third with 395 points, will be seeking redemption after his retirement at CTMP in May.

 

In addition to Gary Klutt, Peter Klutt and Ryan Klutt are also set to participate in the event. Rising star Kyle Steckly will take to the track in the No. 22 Sierra Excavating / 22 Racing Chevrolet, alongside veteran David Thorndyke in the No. 67 Chevrolet.

 

The weekend’s action kicks off with the Practice session at 12:50 PM on Saturday, followed by Qualifying at 5:25 PM. The WeatherTech 200 race will take place on Sunday at 2:05 PM. For those unable to attend in person, the race will be available for viewing on the TSN+ app or FloRacing.com.

Mirabel, Quebec - It was a successful event for Thomas Nepveu at ICAR last Saturday. The driver of the #24 Richelieu | Home Hardware | Cromwell Ford, who celebrated his 20th birthday on Saturday, finished the 100-kilometer race in 7th position.

 

This is a very satisfying result, considering the misfortunes of the past events. Nepveu secured 12th place during the practice session and then 10th place in qualifying.

 

Right from the start of the race, he wasted no time, climbing up one position. ICAR is a small, technical track where overtaking is not always easy due to the density of the field. However, he took advantage of the multiple cautions to continue his climb.

 

“I’m very happy with how the race went this weekend,” said Thomas. “We had a very competitive and reliable car throughout the race, so we were able to achieve a good result.”

 

Thomas may even be promoted to 6th place if a penalty is applied to a competitor.

 

He went on to say, “I’m very happy with the result; I’m the ‘best of the rest.’ I was just a bit short of being able to compete in the Top 5, but we were still fast. I think if there had been more cautions at the end, we could have aimed for a better result. I’m very happy to have finished the race in front of so many spectators, employees, and family members.”

 

As last year, a hundred employees from Nepveu Home Hardware converged at ICAR to cheer Thomas on his 'home' track. The event was festive.

 

Thomas Nepveu’s next event will be at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park next weekend. It will be an opportunity to finish the road course season on a high note. During the event in May, Thomas was racing among the leaders before a mechanical issue forced him to retire. This time, he hopes to replicate his success and finish the event in the Top 5.