Kris Molle Takes Home the 2022 Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Championship
MEDICINE HAT, Alberta (June 19th, 2022) – The finals of the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede wrapped up on Sunday afternoon on a fantastic racetrack and under cloudy skies at 17°C. It was a classic sudden death final that featured Chad Fike, Kris Molle and Doug Irvine.
When the dust settled on what was a truly exciting final, it was Kris Molle, driving the Benoit Oilfield Construction (1997) Ltd. outfit, and along with outriders Brendan Nolin and Kaeden Molle who captured the 2022 Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Championship. For Kris Molle, who won several show championships as a member of the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA), it was his first win on the WPCA Pro Tour since joining last year. For outrider Kaeden Molle (Kris’ son), it was the first show championship of his young outriding career, and made for a memorable father’s day for the Molle family.
In a thrilling penalty-free championship final heat, Molle’s run of 1:02.41 was just 5 one-hundredths of a second faster than Doug Irvine from barrel number 1. Chad Fike ran third in the race from barrel number 3.
On the day, Rae Croteau Jr. won his second day money in the past 4 days with a very fast 1:02.14 from barrel 1 in heat 12. He was tops on the day by one-tenth of a second over Mark Sutherland, followed by Kirk Sutherland, Mitch Sutherland, and eventual champion Kris Molle rounding out the top five on the day. Rae Croteau Jr. and Ross Knight also qualified for the Ponoka Stampede which will take place in two weeks.
The WPCA Pro Tour now moves to Dewberry, Alberta for the Dewberry World Chuckwagon Races starting on Friday, June 24 and continuing through to Sunday June 26.
Billy Melville
2022 Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Champions | |||
Benoit Oilfield Construction (1997) Ltd. | |||
Kris Molle – Driver | |||
Brendan Nolin, Kayden Molle – Outriders | |||
Championship Final Heat (By Barrel Selection) | Total Time | ||
1 | Doug Irvine | Stringam LLP/Sign Solutions/All Brite Signs | 1:02.46 |
2 | Kris Molle | Benoit Oilfield Construction (1997) Ltd. | 1:02.41 |
3 | Chad Fike | Lost River Ranches Ltd. | 1:03.06 |
Day 4 Results | |||
Rank | Driver | Sponsor | Total Time |
1 | Rae Croteau Jr. | Tornado Projects Ltd. | 1:02.14 |
2 | Mark Sutherland | In Memory of Gerald “Brass” Campion | 1:02.24 |
3 | Kirk Sutherland (Wagon #2) | Daler Pressure Services Ltd./Hodge Pressure Services Ltd. | 1:02.35 |
4 | Mitch Sutherland | Davis GMC Buick | 1:02.38 |
5 | Kris Molle | Benoit Oilfield Construction (1997) Ltd. | 1:02.41 |
6/7 | Obrey Motowylo | Co-operators Insurance | 1:02.42 |
6/7 | Vern Nolin | McCaw’s Drilling & Blasting Ltd. | 1:02.42 |
8 | Doug Irvine | Stringam LLP | 1:02.46 |
9 | Jordie Fike | Tackit Contracting Ltd. | 1:02.89 |
10 | Wade Salmond | Mint Smartwash | 1:02.92 |
11 | Kirk Sutherland | Daler Pressure Services Ltd./Hodge Pressure Services Ltd. | 1:02.99 |
12 | Layne MacGillivray | Cascade Energy Corp. | 1:03.00 |
13 | Chad Fike | Lost River Ranches Ltd. | 1:03.06 |
14 | Evan Magee | Minuteman Press | 1:03.20 |
15 | Layne Flad | Hranco Industries Ltd. | 1:03.24 |
16 | Chance Bensmiller | Pinnacle Picker Services Ltd. | 1:03.68 |
17 | Troy Dorchester | PureChem Services | 1:03.75 |
18 | Chanse Vigen | Glover International Trucks/Volker Stevin | 1:03.77 |
19 | Chad Harden | Sandy Hills Simmentals/First Class Cattle Marketing Ltd. | 1:03.81 |
20 | Jason Glass | Birchcliff Energy Ltd. | 1:03.82 |
21 | Evan Salmond | Hydrodig | 1:03.97 |
22 | Chance Thomson | Thorsby Stockyards | 1:04.03 |
23 | Codey McCurrach | Enerplus Corporation | 1:04.22 |
24 | Cruise Bensmiller | Alberta Massage & Spa | 1:04.34 |
25 | Cody Ridsdale | Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement | 1:04.65 |
26 | Ross Knight | NorthShore Tire | 1:04.77 |
27 | Dean Dreger | Northern Mat & Bridge | 1:05.05 |
28 | Darcy Flad | Dynamic Industrial Solutions | 1:05.10 |
29 | Josh Hrynyk | Spider Electric Ltd. | 1:05.31 |
30 | Tuff Dreger | Pomeroy Lodging LP | 1:05.43 |
31 | Dayton Sutherland | Manitoulin Transport | 1:05.63 |
32 | Derek Aebly | Jag Flocomponents LLP | 1:05.89 |
33 | Wade Salmond (Wagon #2) | Pidherney’s | 1:08.06 |
34 | Dustin Gorst | Century Downs Racetrack and Casino | 1:08.70 |
35 | Troy Flad | Friends of Troy Flad | 1:09.19 |
36 | Roy Romanow | Inked Energy Services Ltd. | 1:09.35 |
37 | Kelly Morin | Vantage Housing Solutions | 1:09.60 |
38 | Kurt Bensmiller | Tsuu T’ina Nation | 1:09.84 |
39 | Chance Flad | Aspen Crossing |