Defending champ off to solid start on chuckwagon track

By Medicine Hat News on June 14, 2025.

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Action continues at the World Professional Chuckwagon Races throughout the weekend as the top drivers of the event will vie for a large payday Sunday afternoon during the "Dash for Cash" down at the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede Grandstand.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER

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Defending champ Chanse Vigen raced through cold, muddy conditions to begin the 2025 Medicine Hat Stampede chuckwagon derby with the fastest run on opening night Thursday in front of a near capacity crowd.

The Calgary-area driver is a defending two-time World Champion and captured the Medicine Hat show title in 2024.

His Volker Stevin-sponsored wagon crossed the line one minute, five seconds and seven one-hundredths of a second in the third heat of the night.

It stood up as the fastest of the night among 36 competitors at the Stampede grandstand.

The top-three drivers after racing on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights will qualify for the championship heat on Sunday afternoon.

Kurt Bensmiller (Grey Eagle Casino) was second after the opening night with a time of 1:05.70 – just 63 one-hundredths off the lead.

Jamie Laboucane (Wild Rows Pump and compression) was third (1:06.13) and Ross Knight (Komat Drilling) was fourth (1:06.20).

Laboucane is coming off a weekend win in Bonnyville last weekend. Bensmiller won at Medicine Hat in 2019 and 2021 and sits at No. 5 in the current tour standings that are led by Jason Glass.

Racing will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday and 2 p.m on Sunday.

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