Track Record Falls For Third Consecutive Night As Jamie Laboucane Bids For The World Chuckwagon Championship

Jamie Laboucane – Track Record Run At Century Downs Racetrack And Casino
Photo By Shellie Scott

It was an eventful night three at the Century Downs World Chuckwagon Finals in Rocky View, Alberta. With over $300,000.00 in cash and prized on the line over the 5-day event, hearts are pounding as 12 drivers are trying to make the Century Downs “Winners’ Zone” Championship Final on Sunday afternoon. When the night wrapped up, Layne MacGillivray maintains the lead in the Century Downs “Winners’ Zone” Playoff Round.

After three solid runs, which has seen him win his heat all three nights, MacGillivray has opened up a huge lead in the Century Downs “Winners’ Zone” Championship Playoff round with 34 playoff points after three runs. That puts him 9 points ahead of World Points leader Chanse Vigen who sits alone in second place. Kris Molle and Kurt Bensmiller are tied for third and fourth, with Chad Fike and Jamie Laboucane on the outside looking in, but each are just 2 points out of a birth the final four in Sunday’s Century Downs “Winners’ Zone” Championship Dash where they will be racing for $75,000.00 cash and the prestige of being recognized as the Century Downs “Winners’ Zone” Champion.

For the third consecutive night the track record has fallen, this time to Jamie Laboucane. Laboucane’s Pidherney’s outfit posted a 1:20.27 from barrel 1 in heat number 9. That was just 6 one-hundredths of a second faster than Layne MacGillivray and Cody Ridsdale who split second and third on the night. Kurt Bensmiller placed fourth, with Chad Fike filling out the top five on the night.

For the 36 drivers who are racing for the Aggregate Championship at the Century Downs World Chuckwagon Finals, Layne MacGillivray is also opening up a substantial lead in the overall aggregate standing with a three-run total of 4:03.88. That puts him exactly one and a half seconds ahead of Cody Ridsdale, with Chanse Vigen, Kurt Bensmiller and Jamie Laboucane filling out the top five. The driver posting the best 4-day aggregate time after Saturday’s run will be the Century Downs Racetrack and Casino Aggregate Winner

In the race for the World Chuckwagon Championship, Chanse Vigen, in search of his first career World Chuckwagon Championship, has just a 9-point lead over Jami Laboucane who is also in search of his first career World Chuckwagon Championship. There is currently just a 2-point spread in the aggregate between the two drivers in favor of Vigen, so the World Chuckwagon Championship will come down to the final points run tomorrow night.

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. Team Strathmore Stampede, consisting of Chad Fike, Kris Molle, Jason Glass and Chance Bensmiller is one run away from claiming the inaugural Elite Team Series Championship. Team Strathmore currently holds a 54.5 lead over Team Century Downs represented by Dustin Gorst, Layne MacGillivray, Jordie Fike and Chanse Vigen.

Be sure to catch all the excitement of Night 4 of the Century Downs Word Finals live on Saturday night on Real Country 910am, starting at 9:00pm Eastern, 8:00pm Central and 7:00pm Mountain Time. In addition, race fans can watch the races live on the watch.wpca.comstreaming platform.

Billy Melville