NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Kirk Sutherland of Grande Prairie lifts the reins in the final dash for the finish line on the first day of races at the Medicine Hat Stampede & Exhibition Grounds.
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Chuckwagons burned their way around the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede track Thursday night to kick off a weekend of fun.
The first of four days of racing hosted by the World Professional Chuckwagon Association got underway as drivers and their wagons battled the summer night and the half mile of hell.
Kris Molle entered Thursday night as the defending champion, but when the dust settled and the races wrapped up, it was Chanse Vigen with the day-one lead after posting a penalty-free run of 1:02.14.
Starting from barrel position No. 1 in the 13th and final heat of the evening, Vigen, driving the Volker Stevin Canada outfit, won the day money by 23 one-hundredths of a second over former Medicine Hat Stampede champion Evan Salmond. Another former Medicine Hat champion, Obrey Motowylo, placed third and Jamie Laboucane still managed fourth despite a one-second penalty. Reigning World Champion Chuckwagon driver Layne MacGillivray filled out the top five on the night with a 1:02.58 ride.
The top-three wagons in the aggregate standings after Saturday’s third run will go into Sunday afternoon’s championship final heat and make the dash for cash, where the winner will take home the 2023 Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede championship.
