CHANSE VIGEN BREAKS 61 YEAR OLD RECORD EN ROUTE TO SWEEPING THE 2023 PONOKA STAMPEDE
History was made at the 2023 Ponoka Stampede.
In a highly anticipated Hi Line Motorsports $75,000.00 Tommy Dorchester Championship final heat, Chanse Vigen, Evan Salmond, Layne MacGillivray and Kris Molle would run for the championship at one of chuckwagon racing’s most prestigious events on the WPCA Pro Tour – the Ponoka Stampede. On one of the most exciting race nights of the year, Chanse Vigen – driving the Wentworth Oilfield Services Ltd. outfit, and along with outriders Rory Armstrong and Ethan Motowylo broke a 61 year-old record en route to sweeping the 2023 Ponoka Stampede Championship.
Vigen captured his first career Ponoka Stampede crown with a run of 1:15.05 from barrel position number 4 in the Championship Final Heat number 9. 2022 Calgary Stampede Champion Kris Molle was second from barrel position number 3, 1.21 seconds behind the champion Chanse Vigen Reigning World Champion Layne MacGillivray placed third from barrel position 3, while Evan Salmond, who tipped a barrel, placed fourth from barrel position number 1. It was an undisputed victory for Vigen who also captured the Ponoka Stampede aggregate title for having the best combined time after the first four days.
On the day, Chanse Vigen’s championship run was not only the best on the night, it was his sixth consecutive first place run in six consecutive nights, breaking the previous record of five consecutive first place runs by Dale Flett at the Calgary Stampede in 1962. Ironically, Dale Flett’s streak of first place run was ended on the final night of the 1962 Calgary Stampede by Chanse Vigen’s grandfather Ralph Vigen. Kris Molle placed second, with Layne MacGillivray, Mark Sutherland and Darcy Flad filling out the top five on the night. The Championship Final Heat produced three of the top five times on the Ponoka Stampede’s final night.
The WPCA Pro Tour will now take a break for the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby from July 7-16, 2023.
|
2023 Ponoka Stampede Champions |
|||
|
Wentworth Oilfield Services Ltd. |
|||
|
Chanse Vigen – Driver |
|||
|
Rory Armstrong, Ethan Motowylo – Outriders |
|||
|
Championship Final Heat (By Barrel Selection) |
Total Time |
||
|
1 |
Evan Salmond |
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. |
1:21.65 |
|
2 |
Layne MacGillivray |
League Projects |
1:17.17 |
|
3 |
Kris Molle |
Eagle Builders |
1:16.26 |
|
4 |
Chanse Vigen |
Wentworth Oilfield Services Ltd. |
1:15.05 |
|
Day 6 Results |
|||
|
Rank |
Driver |
Sponsor |
Total Time |
|
1 |
Chanse Vigen |
Wentworth Oilfield Services Ltd. |
1:15.05 |
|
2 |
Kris Molle |
Eagle Builders |
1:16.26 |
|
3 |
Layne MacGillivray |
League Projects |
1:17.17 |
|
4 |
Mark Sutherland |
Reinhart Oilfield Services Ltd. |
1:17.41 |
|
5 |
Darcy Flad |
Wetaskiwin Ready Mix |
1:17.59 |
|
6 |
Obrey Motowylo |
The Co-operators |
1:17.78 |
|
7 |
Kurt Bensmiller |
Versatile Energy Services Ltd. |
1:17.87 |
|
8 |
Chad Fike |
Summit Fleet |
1:18.50 |
|
9 |
Chance Flad |
Calnash Trucking |
1:18.66 |
|
10 |
Dean Dreger |
Pacesetter Equipment Ltd. |
1:18.78 |
|
11 |
Dayton Sutherland |
Manitoulin Transport; delivering a world of opportunities |
1:18.94 |
|
12 |
Jason Glass |
Birchcliff Energy Ltd. |
1:19.19 |
|
13 |
Tuff Dreger |
Canadian Premium Meats Inc. |
1:19.30 |
|
14 |
Wade Salmond |
Pidherney’s |
1:19.49 |
|
15 |
Josh Hrynyk |
Benchmark Commodities Ltd. |
1:19.52 |
|
16 |
Cruise Bensmiller |
Stormy River Ranch |
1:19.71 |
|
17 |
Kelly Morin |
Shoulder to Shoulder with Ukraine/Jeff & Julie DeSutter |
1:19.81 |
|
18 |
Kirk Sutherland |
Morskate Manufacturing |
1:19.85 |
|
19 |
Codey McCurrach |
TOMCO Group of Companies |
1:20.10 |
|
20 |
Troy Dorchester |
Team Rig & Supply |
1:20.13 |
|
21 |
Chance Thomson |
VJV Auction Co. Ltd. |
1:20.14 |
|
22 |
Troy Flad |
Mr. Fireplace |
1:20.20 |
|
23 |
Doug Irvine |
Optimum Equipment Solutions |
1:20.55 |
|
24 |
Evan Magee |
Krycket Consulting |
1:20.64 |
|
25 |
Jordie Fike |
Torch Industries Ltd. |
1:20.71 |
|
26 |
Dustin Gorst |
Century Downs Racetrack and Casino |
1:20.90 |
|
27 |
Rae Croteau Jr. |
Tech Group Inc. |
1:21.05 |
|
28 |
Chance Bensmiller |
Main Street Truck Sales |
1:21.38 |
|
29 |
Ross Knight |
Midwest Pipelines Inc. |
1:21.40 |
|
30 |
Evan Salmond |
De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. |
1:21.65 |
|
31 |
Mitch Sutherland |
WeldPro Limited |
1:22.04 |
|
32 |
Layne Flad |
Quick Moves Concrete Pumping Ltd. |
1:24.43 |
|
33 |
Roger Moore |
Hayshakers Bobcat Service Ltd. |
1:24.69 |
|
34 |
Derek Aebly |
Secure Energy |
1:30.82 |
|
35 |
Cody Ridsdale |
Long Chain Reclaim |
1:34.90 |
|
36 |
Jamie Laboucane |
5 Star Propane Ltd. |
N.T |
Comments
