5 TO WATCH IN STAMPEDE CHUCKWAGON RACES
1. KIRK SUTHERLAND
If not for three seconds in outrider penalties, Sutherland would have set a new track record en route to winning the Tom Dorchester Dash for Cash in Ponoka on Canada Day. Instead, he placed fourth, while watching Kurt Bensmiller accept the winning $50,000 cheque. Currently leading the WPCA standings with 593.5 points, Sutherland is motivated to return to the GMC Rangeland Derby finals to improve upon his third-place showing last year.
2. JERRY BREMNER
Penalties also proved costly for Bremner last week as the former Ponoka champ just missed out on qualifying for the final. Nonetheless, Bremner still sits in second spot in the WPCA standings, a mere three points behind Sutherland. Bremner has one GMC Rangeland Derby title to his credit, but it happened way back in 1993. He’s made it to the finals eight times, including last year when he finished fourth.
3. JASON GLASS
Although he didn’t win in Ponoka, Glass gained confidence from his third-place showing heading into the Calgary Stampede. In his seventh trip to the finals last year, Glass became the first fourth-generation driver to win the GMC Rangeland Derby championship, following in the footsteps of his father Tom Glass, grandfather Ron Glass and greatgrandfather Tom Lauder. Glass is currently ranked third in the WPCA standings with 585.5 points.
4. KURT BENSMILLER
Bensmiller was all smiles after winning in Ponoka on Tuesday and he hopes to carry his new-found confidence with him into the Calgary Stampede. He has just one appearance in the GMC Rangeland Derby finals back in 2011 when he finished in third spot. Last year, he finished just 64/100ths of a second from earning a spot in the finals. He’s currently fourth in the WPCA standings with 583 points.
5. SHANE NOLIN
Entering the Calgary Stampede, Nolin sits atop the CPCA standings with 383.5 points — 12 ahead of Brian Laboucane. Nolin started his season strongly with a win in North Battleford during the first event of the CPCA season and has remained competitive ever since. Nolin has yet to qualify for the GMC Rangeland Derby finals, but is looking to build upon his 17th-place showing in 2012 when he ran penalty free.