High River, Alberta – After a successful run at the Calgary Stampede, the WPCA Pro Tour resumed in High River for the running of Battle of the Foothills where Chanse Vigen came into this year’s event as the defending champion. It was a hot night for chuckwagon races, and the enthusiasm of the High River fans was second to none. When the night concluded, it was world points leader Rae Croteau Jr. who bested the field after a run of 1:18.94 even with a one second outrider penalty.
Coming off barrel number 4 in the 10th heat of the evening, Croteau Jr., driving the White Owl Whisky outfit, and despite a 1 second late outrider penalty, posted the top time of the night and placed first overall for the day by just 8 one-hundredths of a second over reigning Calgary Stampede Cowboys Rangeland Derby Champion Kris Molle. Chad Fike was third, reigning world champion Obrey Motowylo placed fourth, and reigning Richard Cosgrave Memorial winner Layne MacGillivray rounded the top five on night.
The driver posting the best 4-day aggregate time after Sunday’s run will be declared the champion of the 2022 Battle of the Foothills.
Tune into day 2 of Battle of the Foothills from High River on Friday night, June 22, 2022, on WPCA Radio starting 9:00pm Eastern, 8:00pm Central, and 7:00pm Mountain time on Real Country 910am.
Billy Melville
Unofficial Day 1 Results
Rank |
Driver |
Sponsor |
Total Time |
1 |
Rae Croteau Jr. |
Highwood Distillers |
1:17.96 |
2 |
Kris Molle |
The Mavericks & Spolumbo’s Deli & Fine Foods. |
1:18.04 |
3 |
Chad Fike |
Sprung Structures |
1:18.13 |
4 |
Obrey Motowylo |
Co-operators – Crawford Insurance Group Ltd. |
1:18.20 |
5 |
Layne MacGillivray |
McLean Contracting |
1:18.88 |
6 |
Kirk Sutherland |
Laycraft & Moncrieff Farms |
1:18.89 |
7 |
Ross Knight |
Koda Transport Ltd. |
1:19.00 |
8 |
Vern Nolin |
McCaw’s Drilling & Blasting Ltd. |
1:19.11 |
9 |
Dustin Gorst |
Century Downs Racetrack & Casino |
1:19.35 |
10 |
Jason Glass |
Birchcliff Energy Ltd. |
1:19.69 |
11 |
Mark Sutherland |
Reinhart Oilfield Services Ltd. |
1:19.71 |
12 |
Chance Bensmiller |
Calgary Landscape Supplies |
1:19.77 |
13 |
Kurt Bensmiller |
AIC Construction Ltd. |
1:19.83 |
14 |
Troy Flad |
Mr. Fireplace |
1:19.84 |
15 |
Evan Salmond |
Westland Insurance |
1:20.01 |
16 |
Jordie Fike |
Shawne Excavating & Trucking Ltd. |
1:20.12 |
17 |
Darcy Flad |
John Barlow MP-Foothills |
1:20.36 |
18 |
Layne Flad |
Absolute Landscapes |
1:20.43 |
19 |
Chance Thomson |
Blackjack Livestock Co. |
1:20.68 |
19 |
Kelly Morin |
Vantage Housing Solutions |
1:20.83 |
21 |
Evan Magee |
Western RV Country |
1:20.90 |
22 |
Cody Ridsdale |
O’Chiese First Nation |
1:20.95 |
23 |
Chance Flad |
Aspen Crossing |
1:21.04 |
24 |
Todd McCracken |
Logistic Solutions Energy |
1:21.19 |
25 |
Wade Salmond |
Omega 2000 Cribbing Inc. |
1:21.25 |
26 |
Wade Salmond (Wagon #2) |
J. Vair Anderson Jewellers |
1:21.48 |
27 |
Dean Dreger |
Northern Mat & Bridge |
1:21.65 |
28 |
Mitch Sutherland |
Canyon Rigging |
1:21.89 |
29 |
Derek Aebly |
Jag Flocomponents LLP |
1:22.46 |
30 |
Kirk Sutherland (Wagon #2) |
Laycraft & Moncrieff Farms |
1:23.14 |
31 |
Doug Irvine * |
Ensteel Industries Ltd. |
1:23.30 |
32 |
Troy Dorchester |
PureChem Services |
1:24.53 |
33 |
Gage Flad |
Remax Darcy Powlik Realty |
1:24.56 |
34 |
Dayton Sutherland ** |
Brandell Diesel Inc. |
1:24.94 |
35 |
Tuff Dreger |
KLS Earthworks & Environmental |
1:25.27 |
36 |
Chanse Vigen |
The Mavericks Chuckwagon Team |
1:26.22 |
37 |
Roy Romanow |
Ward Tirecraft (High River) |
1:27.41 |
38 |
Chad Harden |
Sandy Hill Simmentals/First Class Cattle Marketing Ltd. |
1:28.01 |
39 |
Josh Hrynyk |
Spider Electric Ltd. |
1:29.31 |
40 |
Cruise Bensmiller |
CDM Mechanical Ltd. |
N.T |
* Wagon driven by Doug Irvine |
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** Wagon driven by Mitch Sutjherland |