2024 Battle Of The Rockies Champions
Terrafirma Resources Outfit
(L-R): Outrider Rory Armstrong, Driver Chanse Vigen, Outrider Ethan Motowylo
Photo By Shellie Scott
After unsafe track conditions caused an unscheduled day off, the chuckwagon races resumed in Rocky Mountain House, Alberta for the final day on Monday night. The temperature was a warm 23°C under partly cloudy skies, the dust was flying as racetrack conditions drastically improved, and a capacity crowd was on hand to watch the finale of the Battle of the Rockies.
In the chase for the Battle of the Rockies Championship and for the second year in a row it was Chanse Vigen, driving the Terrafirma Resources outfit, and outriders Rory Armstrong and Ethan Motowylo, who emerged as champions of the 2024 Battle of the Rockies after posting the best 4-day aggregate time of 5:20.64. That put him just 29 one-hundreds of a second in front of runner-up Wade Salmond. Luke Tournier was solidly in third place overall, with Chance Thomson and Kurt Bensmiller completing the top five overall. It’s the fourth win on the season for Chanse Vigen, and the third in the past four shows for Vigen who captured the Medicine Hat Stampede, the Battle of the Foothills, and the Strathmore Stampede earlier this season.
As far as the nightly results go, Kurt Bensmiller was the fast man after posting a penalty free run of 1:16.04. From barrel number 2 in the 8th heat, Bensmiller’s Versatile Energy Services Ltd. outfit was just 12 one-hundredths of a second faster than second place finisher Jason Glass to take the top time on the night. Reserve champion Wade Salmond placed third, with champion Chanse Vigen and Cruise Bensmiller filling out the top five times on the night.
The win has Chanse Vigen in first place atop the World Standings heading into Wild West WPCA World Chuckwagon Finals which starts Wednesday night in Ponoka, Alberta. 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. Vigen currently has an 80.5 point advantage over Rae Croteau Jr., Jason Glass is 90 points back, with Jamie Laboucane and Chad Fike 130 and 138 points back respectively in the chase for the World Chuckwagon Championship.
The twelve drivers who have now officially qualified for the Century Downs WINNERS’ ZONE Playoff Round include Chanse Vigen, Rae Croteau Jr., Jason Glass, Jamie Laboucane, Chad Fike, Layne MacGillivray, Obrey Motowylo, Kurt Bensmiller, Luke Tournier, Cruise Bensmiller, Wade Salmond and Kris Molle. Evan Salmond ended up in the crying hole, 107 points behind Kris Molle.
The top 4 drivers with the most playoff points in the Century Downs WINNERS’ ZONE Series will advance to the Championship Final at the Wild West WPCA World Chuckwagon Finals.
The 2024 WPCA Pro Tour will move back to Ponoka, Alberta for the second time this season for the season ending Wild West WPCA World Chuckwagon Finals starting on Wednesday, August 28, 2024 and running through to Sunday, September 1, 2024. Live radio coverage of the Wild West WPCA World Chuckwagon Finals can be heard every night starting at 8:30pm Eastern, 7:30pm Central and 6:30pm Mountain Time on New Country 92.5 FM Drumheller, 93.3 FM Stettler, 105.7 FM Brooks, 94.9 FM Blairmore, 92.7 FM Pincher Creek, or streaming options are available through the WPCA Website at wpca.com, iHeart Radio website/app or the Radioplayer Canada website/app. The Wild West WPCA World Chuckwagon Finals can also be watched live on the WPCA Livestream at watch.wpca.com.
Billy Melville
