Championship Run – 2011 Capital Ex Chuckwagon Derby – Edmonton, AB

Championship Run – 2011 Capital Ex Chuckwagon Derby – Edmonton, AB
 
The 2011 Martin Deerline Capital EX Chuckwagon Derby is in the books, and the final race of the final night was an exciting finish to a truly outstanding event. Kurt Bensmiller, driving the Stahl Peterbilt Outfit, and along with outriders Shawn Calf Robe and Wayne Wright, made it a wire to wire victory by taking the sudden death championship final to capture the Martin Deerline Capital EX Chuckwagon Derby. It’s the second career victory for Bensmiller who last won in 2007 at the Battle of the North in Dawson Creek, British Columbia.

Overnight and afternoon rains made for a muddy racetrack, but the races were run under 20°C and mainly sunny skies, and the final heat was a penalty free thriller. Coming off barrel position number 1 in the sudden death championship final heat number 9, Bensmiller won the 2011 Edmonton Championship with a run of 1:26.64, and won the heat by 89 one-hundreds of a second over Tim Haroldson. Haroldson, who was making his first appearance in a sudden death final at a major chuckwagon event, ended up as the runner-up from barrel position number 3. Troy Dorchester, who was making his fourth appearance in the Edmonton final, placed third from barrel position number 2, leaving Chad Harden, the 2009 Edmonton champion, in 4th place from barrel number 4.

Top time of the night went to Rae Croteau Jr., driving the TOMCO Group of Companies outfit with a run of 1:25.41 from barrel position number 4 in heat 8. Kurt Bensmiller had the 2nd best time on the night, 1.23 seconds behind the day winner Rae Croteau Jr., with Jerry Bremner, Luke Tournier and Grant rounding out the top 5.
 
The WPCA now moves on to Strathmore for the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship and Strathmore Heritage Days Stampede starting on Thursday, July 28, 2011, and can be heard live starting at 7:15pm on Classic Country AM1060 out of Calgary, 890AM CJDC out of Dawson Creek and 99.7 FM The Wolf out of Bonnyville.

Billy Melville
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2011 MARTIN DEERLINE CAPITAL EX CHUCKWAGON DERBY CHAMPIONS
Stahl Peterbilt
Kurt Bensmiller – Driver
Shawn Calf Robe, Wayne Wright – Outriders
   
Sudden Death Championship Final Heat (By Barrel Selection) 
1 Kurt Bensmiller Stahl Peterbilt 
2 Troy Dorchester Team Rig & Supply/Decarson Rentals 
3 Tim Haroldson Desjardins Financial Security 
4 Chad Harden Image Distributors/Spartan Controls/Big West Dodge

Day 4 Results
Rank Driver Sponsor Total Time
1 Rae Croteau Jr. TOMCO Group of Companies 1:25.41
2 Kurt Bensmiller Stahl Peterbilt 1:26.64
3 Jerry Bremner Standard Resources Fund 1:26.93
4 Luke Tournier ATB Financial 1:27.09
5 Grant Profit Thru Tubing Solutions 1:27.43
6 Tim Haroldson Desjardins Financial Security 1:27.53
7 Jason Glass Birchcliff Energy Ltd. 1:27.59
8 Troy Dorchester Team Rig & Supply/Decarson Rentals 1:27.93
9 Chad Harden Big West Dodge Chrysler Ltd. 1:28.04
10 Chance Bensmiller Tri-Service Oilfield Manufacturing Ltd. 1:28.30