An exciting four-day WPCA Dodge Pro Tour competition wrapped up on Sunday with the Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship. Chad Harden, sponsored by Spartan Controls and Source Energy, won the George Normand Memorial Sudden Death Championship Final heat and took home $15,000 with a time of 1:18.31.
Last year's champion, Brian Mayan, and Jerry Bremner competed against Harden, with Bremner coming in at a close second with a time of 1:18.80. Mayan followed in a distant third place after an equipment problem coming out of the barrels. Trailblazer RV Centre sponsored Bremner while Ross & Sylvestre sponsored Mayan.
Harden also had the best aggregate four-day total of 5:13:53, followed closely by Bremner at 5:13.98 and Pride of the Lakeland's Rick Fraser with 5:14.16. Ja-Co Welding & Consulting's Grant Profit had the fourth best aggregate total at 5:15.68 while Lakeland Homes' Cliff Cunningham came in at 5:15.99.
The four-day competition saw hundreds of fans pack the stands to see the drivers compete for the championship. "It was absolutely fantastic. The crowds were there, the weather was there, we had a quick little downpour on Saturday and it just cooled us all off, wet the track a bit and made it more exciting. It was just phenomenal," said committee member Tina Michaud.
"The community, the business people that helped us out with sponsorship money, and the committee and the volunteers, you can't put something that huge on with out a lot of people and a lot of hard work," said Michaud.
FMX Extreme Dream Team motocross stuntmen Jeff Fehr and Reagan Sieg warmed the audience up with death-defying flips and tricks. Crazy Cowgirl trick rider, Cassie Horner, showed the audience riding tricks along with Rae Croteau Jr.'s daughter, Cora. Bonnyville Ghostriders and the Bonnyville Pro Rodeo and Chuckwagon Association Queen Kristie Knudsen and Princess Carolynne Vallee carried flags into the performance area to start the races.
Local driver Rae Croteau Jr. (TOMCO Group of Companies) started the competition Thursday with an impressive top time of 1:16.33. Hugh Sinclair (Town & Country Developments) came in second with1:16.47, Bremner third at 1:16.90, John Walters (Myshak Crane & Rigging) fourth at 1:16.91, and Fraser with 1:16.92.
Day two saw Obrey Motowylo, sponsored by H & E Oilfield Services, take the day's top spot with a time of 1:16.14. Tuboscope of Canada's Jason Glass came in at a close second with 1:16.27 while Colt Cosgrave (High River Autoplex & RV) took the day's third place at 1:16.28. Kirk Sutherland (EMCO Corporation) came in fourth at 1:16.39 while Profit earned fifth place at 1:16.92.
On day three, Cody Risdale (Sign Solutions) came in first with a time of 1:16.69. Mayan took second with 1:17.46, while Profit took third at 1:18.98. Codey McCurrach (Quinn Contracting) took fourth with a time of 1:19.00, with Bremner in fifth at 1:19.22.
On day four of racing, Cosgrave came in second after Harden with a time of 1:18.45, followed by Fraser with 1:18.77, Bremner at 1:18.80, and Hugh Sinclair (Land Rush Racing Team) with 1:19.01.
Hometown heroes Croteau and Doug Irvine (B & R Eckels) impressed the crowd with their performance. Irvine placed 20th with a time of 1:18.59, on the first day, and 1:18.48 on day two. On day three Irvine came in at 1:23.04, good for 25th place overall. On the final day of races he took 29th place with a time of 1:24.78.
Croteau placed 26th on day two with a time of 1:18.62. On day three he came in 36th place with a time of 1:44.66. He fared better on the final day of racing at 25th place with a time of 1:22.64.