2025 Ponoka Stampede Champions
Benchmark Commodities Ltd. Outfit
L-R: Outrider Ryan Martin, Driver Logan Gorst, Outrider Nolan Cameron
Photo By Shellie Scott
It’s the heat everyone has been anxiously waiting for – the $75,000.00 Tommy Dorchester Championship final heat at the Ponoka Stampede – where Chanse Vigen, Evan Salmond, Jamie Laboucane and Logan Gorst survived the semi-final round and 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, Logan Gorst – driving the Benchmark Commodities Ltd. outfit, and along with outriders Nolan Cameron and Ryan Martin collected the first-place winners cheque and the 2025 Ponoka Stampede Championship. It is the first win on the WPCA Pro Tour for outrider Ryan Martin.
Gorst captured his first career Ponoka Stampede crown with a penalty free run of 1:12.18 from barrel position number 4. 2023 Ponoka Stampede Champion Chanse Vigen crossed he finish line first, but was assessed a 1 second penalty for his wagon starting ahead of the horn, and was pushed back into placed second in the heat from barrel position number 2, three-quarters of a second behind the champion Logan Gorst, followed by Evan Salmond from barrel position number one, with Jamie Laboucane from barrel position number 3 having to settle for fourth after being hit with 2 seconds in penalties for his wagon starting ahead of the horn and his wagon being ahead of the barrel.
Logan Gorst’s championship run was also the Alberta AG Centre Fast Time of the Night, followed by Chanse Vigen in second place on the night. Injured driver Luke Tournier’s outfit, which has been driven all show by his son Lane Tournier, placed third overall on the night, with Chad Fike and Darcy Flad filling out the top five fastest runs on the final night.
The WPCA Pro Tour will now take a break for the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta from July 4-13, 2025. Jason Glass is the defending champion, and races will run each night at 7:30pm Mountain time. Live coverage of the GMC Rangeland Derby can be heard starting at 7:15 on Friday, July 4, 2025. Drivers who were not invited to the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby presented by Play Alberta will race at the Teepee Creek Stampede from July 11-13, 2025.
Billy Melville
