After a 10-day break for the Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby Championship and the Colonial Days Fair in Lloydminster, the 2011 WPCA Dodge Pro Tour resumed with the running of the Martin Deerline Capital EX Chuckwagon Derby in Edmonton.
There is a new twist this year as for the first time there will be three wagons per heat for the first three days allowing all drivers to have an equal turn around the barrels, and then on night four the races revert back to its traditional four wagons per heat with a four wagon sudden death final to determine the 2011 Martin Deerline Capital EX Chuckwagon Derby champion.
The races were run under variably cloudy skies, a few raindrops and 11°C on what was a very pleasant Saturday evening. 2011 Calgary Stampede finalist Kurt Bensmiller, driving the Stahl Peterbilt outfit, kept his successful streak going by taking the day money with a run of 1:22.88.
Coming off barrel number 1 in heat number 4, Bensmiller bettered 2009 Edmonton champion Chad Harden by 25 one-hundreds of a second on the day. Rick Fraser, Obrey Motowylo and Reg Johnstone filled out the top five for the night.
The top 4 wagons after Monday’s run will compete in the Sudden Death Final on Tuesday, where the winner will be declared the 2011 Martin Deerline Capital EX Chuckwagon Derby champion. The Martin Deerline Capital EX Chuckwagon Derby in Edmonton can be heard live at 6:45pm on Classic Country AM1060 out of Calgary, 890AM CJDC out of Dawson Creek and 99.7 FM The Wolf out of Bonnyville. Television coverage can be seen on SHAW TV and SHAW Direct Channel 299 starting at 10:00pm.
Billy Melville
For more, click here
Day 1 Results
Rank Driver Sponsor Total Time
1 Kurt Bensmiller Stahl Peterbilt 1:22.88
2 Chad Harden Image Distributors/ Ron May Consulting 1:23.13
3 Rick Fraser Terra Core Rentals 1:23.69
4 Obrey Motowylo H & E Oilfield Services Ltd. 1:24.47
5 Reg Johnstone Direct Horizontal Drilling 1:24.52
6 Tim Haroldson Westeel/Northern Steel 1:24.84
7 Troy Dorchester Team Rig & Supply/Decarson Rentals 1:24.85
8 Evan Salmond Eternity Limousines 1:24.97
9 Codey McCurrach Eddie’s Men’s Wear 1:25.09
10 Lincoln Douglas McCuaig Desrochers LLP 1:25.11