Vigen fills the void for ailing father
After spilling own rig, he has father’s team in pursuit of Rangeland Derby title
Chanse Vigen is pulling double duty at the Calgary Stampede’s GMC Rangeland Derby.
Considered one of the rising stars in the world of chuckwagon racing, Vigen has had a frustrating run of results with his own rig, spilling several barrels to spoil his championship hopes.
One spin around the Half Mile of Hell is enough to wear a cowboy out, but Chanse is also serving as a fill-in for his father, Mike, who is not physically able to compete.
Driving on behalf of his proud pop, he’s still in the hunt for the title. Heading into Wednesday’s dust-up, Mike’s United Rentals wagon was sitting sixth in the aggregate.
“He just kind of turns me loose,” Chanse said. “When you’re out there, you’re the only the guy in the box with the reins. So it’s on you.
“I think he trusts me. I probably didn’t trust me after we knocked so many barrels down earlier in the week, but we’re starting to right the ship now.”
The past couple of nights, at least Chanse has been able to catch his breath between races.
For four straight shows to open the latest instalment of the GMC Rangeland Derby, the 34-yearold would steer his Maverickssponsored wagon in Heat 2, then hand over the reins, bail out on the back-stretch before the customary smile-and-wave cruise through the infield, switch his shirt and climb into Mike’s usual seat just in time for Heat 3.
“It’s as much mental as it is physical — just trying to keep a map on what all the horses are going to do, because they all work different and you’ve gotta drive them differently, and it can kind of mess with your head,” Chanse said.
“And then if the first heat doesn’t go well, you start doubting yourself going into the next heat. You tell yourself all that same crap — you know, ‘It’s one heat at a time,’ and ‘Put the last one behind you’ — but it’s easier said than done.
“We’re trying to make the most of it.” Chanse Vigen qualified for the $100,000 dash at the 2017 Calgary Stampede, settling for a third-place finish.
He could get another shot at the big-money showdown this weekend, but it would be with Mike’s thoroughbreds providing the horsepower.
Chanse did smush one barrel on behalf of his old man, but he’s still hanging around the top of the charts despite that five-second ding. With Wednesday’s clocking of 1:12:87, he climbed two spots to fourth on the overall leaderboard.
Reigning champ Kurt Bensmiller (Versatile Energy Services), soon-to-be-retired Rick Fraser (Cleo Energy) and Vern Nolin (Dentons LLP) are the only guys with a faster tally through six nights of aggregate action.
Mike, 59, has his boy to thank for that.
“We just strategize about what we’re going to hook,” Chanse said. “We don’t always agree on everything, but we come to the same decision in the end. Because you have to be on the same page. When we’re not on the same page, it doesn’t feel right when you leave the barn.”
Wouldn’t it be a terrific fatherson tale if the Grande Prairiebased Vigens could leave the barns Sunday with the GMC Rangeland Derby title?
They certainly have a shot. Once the dust settles Friday night, the top eight drivers will advance to the semifinals.
“We’re out of mulligans. We’ve used up all our life-lines,” Chanse said. “We can’t afford any more mistakes, right? I got ’em out of the way early, but we to be clean from here on out. I’m not going to get a second chance to make a mistake. We just have to keep our foot on the gas.”
AROUND THE BARRELS
Bensmiller padded his lead atop the aggregate by posting Wednesday’s top time — a sizzle of 1:11:56 in Heat 9 … Codey McCurrach was subbing for Obrey Motowylo, injured when he was tossed from his wagon in Tuesday ’s eighth heat. According to Stampede officials, the 46-year-old Motowylo suffered a broken clavicle in the scary incident, although track announcer Les McIntyre reported he was back in the barns during Wednesday’s races.