2023 Battle Of The Rockies Champions
Terrafirma Resources Outfit
(L-R): Driver Chanse Vigen, Brie Vigen, Outriders Ethan Motowylo and Tyler DeSutter
Photo By Shellie Scott
It was a big day in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta as the 2023 Battle of the Rockies wrapped up Monday evening. In the chase for the Battle of the Rockies championship it was Chanse Vigen, driving the Terrafirma Resources outfit, and outriders Tyer DeSutter and Ethan Motowylo, not only established a new track record, but emerged as champions of the 2023 Battle of the Rockies after posting the best 4-day aggregate time of 5:00.61. That put him 2.12 second in front of runner-up Evan Salmond, followed closely by Wade Salmond, with Jason Glass and Chad Fike completing the top five overall. It’s the third show win on the season for Chanse Vigen who won the Grande Prairie Stompede and the Ponoka Stampede earlier this season.
As mentioned Chanse Vigen not only posted the fast time of the evening, but established a new track record in the process. Vigen’s 1:13.52 from barrel number 1 in the 10th heat was just one one-hundredth of a second faster than the previous track record set by his father Mike Vigen back in 2013. Despite the track record , Vigen only won the day money by a mere 2 one-hundredths of a second over Kirk Sutherland who placed second, with Jamie Laboucane, Brad McMann and Cody Ridsdale rounding out the top five on the evening. Veteran driver Roy Romanow, who announced his retirement earlier on in the week, made his final run tonight in the opening heat.
The win has Chanse Vigen and Jamie Laboucane deadlocked atop the Worl\d Standings heading into Century Downs Racetrack and Casino World Chuckwagon Finals which starts Wednesday night. The World Champion Chuckwagon Driver will be declared on Saturday night as the driver who accumulated the most number of points over the course of the season.
The twelve drivers who have now officially qualified for the Century Downs Winner’s Zone Playoff Round include Chanse Vigen, Jamie Laboucane, Jason Glass, Evan Salmond, Chad Fike, Layne MacGillivray, Obrey Motowylo, Rae Croteau Jr., Wade Salmond, Kris Molle, Kurt Bensmiller and Ross Knight. Chance Thomson ended up in the crying hole, 138 points behind Ross Knight.
These 12 drivers have now qualified for the 4-day playoff round at Century Downs. The top 4 drivers with the most playoff points will advance to the Century Downs WINNERS’ ZONE Year End Championship Dash. $75,000.00 will be awarded in the final race.
In the season long Elite Team Series, five teams representing five show locations – Grande Prairie, Ponoka, Strathmore, Rocky Mountain House and Century Downs – are competing for points at these respective locations only in an attempt to win the Elite Team Series Championship. Overall, Team Strathmore Stampede, consisting of Chad Fike, Kris Molle, Jason Glass and Chance Bensmiller are leading the way with 2,201.5 points. That puts them just 53.5 points ahead of Team Century Downs. The Elite Team series will conclude this week at the Century Downs World Chuckwagon Finals.
The 2023 WPCA Pro Tour will move to Century Downs Racetrack and Casino just outside of Calgary, Alberta for the season ending Century Downs World Finals starting on Wednesday, August 23, 2023 and running through to Sunday, August 27, 2023. Live radio coverage of the Century Downs Word Finals can be heard Wednesday through Saturday on Real Country 910, starting at 8:30pm Eastern, 7:30pm Central and 6:30pm Mountain Time, with Sundays final starting at 4:00pm Eastern, 3:00pm Central and 2:00pm Mountain Time. Plus, race fans can watch the races live on the watch.wpca.comstreaming platform.
Billy Melville
