The Calgary Stampede has announced a one-year extension of the current Chuckwagon Agreement with the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association (CPCA) to include the 2008 GMC Rangeland Derby.

The total prize purse for the world’s premier chuckwagon championship will rise to $1,154,000 in 2008 – an increase of $100,000. The additional purse will mean more daily prize money, and doubling of the overall aggregate bonus money divided among the top drivers, to $100,000.

The aggregate winner will again be awarded a new GMC truck. The Calgary Stampede will continue to award $150,000 to the participants of the Final Heat, with the GMC Rangeland Derby Champion receiving $100,000, with second prize earning $25,000, third receiving $15,000 and fourth place $10,000.
continue reading "Stampede extends agreement for 2008 Chucks"

By: Billy Melville

After a successful start to the 2007 at the Grande Prairie Stompede, the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour was scheduled to race in Medicine Hat for the Medicine Exhibition and Stampede.

Unfortunately, the event was cancelled due to sub standard track conditions. It may be rescheduled in late August after the Red Deer finals.

Next, it was off to Lethbridge for the Rocky Mountain Turf Club Derby June 15-17, 2007. Luke Tournier took top money on day 1 by just 10 one-hundredths of a second over Grande Prairie champion Jerry Bremner.
continue reading "World Professional Chuckwagon August 2007"

By: Bryan Hebson

The Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Association 2007 season is taking on a new and interesting look evident by the action after the first five shows.

Rookie Driver Sean Debolt is looking to qualify for the 2008 Calgary Stampede (top 12 from CPCA qualify) and sat in 14th spot only 8 points back of Ross Knight who was in 12th. Debolt has some good horsepower however penalties have kept him from cracking the top 12 in the standings.
continue reading "CPCA August 2007"

By: Billy Melville

As usual, the Grande Prairie Stompede was a thriller to open up the 2007 edition of the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour. For the second time in his career, Jerry Bremner emerged as the Grande Prairie Stompede champion, which ran May 30-June 3, 2007.

The first day saw Jerry Bremner take top money with a very rapid 1:15.88. He repeated as top wagon on day 2 with a 1:15.87 and was ahead in aggregate standings after 2 nights by nearly 4 full seconds over Rae Croteau Jr., Kirk Sutherland and Troy Flad.
continue reading "Grande Prairie Stompede"

By: Bryan Hebson

You can’t beat what you can’t catch and they couldn’t catch Ray Mitsuing at the Little Pine Race Track during the Canadian Professional Chuckwagon Associations first show of the 2007 season.

The 2007 CPCA Pro Tour kicked off May 31st – June 3rd and it became evident early that Mitsuing made the most of his spring training. The five-time Canadian Champion driving for SIGA set a new track record Saturday speeding around the 5/8ths oval in 113.27.
continue reading "CPCA Kicks off ‘07 season"

by Bill Melville

It’s well known that many of today’s chuckwagon racing families have had long ties to the sport passed down through at least one generation.

Many of the individuals in these families have stayed within the mainstream – competing as chuckwagon drivers and/or outriders, horse trainers and grooms.

For the Strandquist family, three generations have stayed involved in the sport, but their involvement has gone above and beyond that of what was previously mentioned. Their involvement is as diversified as the man who started it all in this family: the legendary Orville Strandquist.
continue reading "All in the Family: The Strandquists"

By: Billy Melville

Alberta’s booming economy combined with the publicity that the Calgary Stampede and WPCA Dodge Pro Tour attract, are most certainly boosting the sale price of chuckwagon canvas’ much to the pleasure of today’s chuckwagon driver.

For the second consecutive year, the Calgary Stampede Auction, which took place on April 19 at the Archie Boyce Theatre in Calgary, set an overall record of $4,003,500.

A new record total bid on the 36 participating wagons compared was up a staggering $1,143,500 over the 2006 record total of $2,860,000.

It was the first time the Calgary auction crossed over the $4-million mark. $2,710,500 of the total was bid on the 22 drivers who will represent the WPCA at this year’s Calgary Stampede, with $1,293,000 bid on the 14 drivers from the CPCA Circuit. Twenty-six of the 26 drivers sold for $100,000 or more, with WPCA drivers taking 15 of the top 18 bids.
continue reading "World Professional Chuckwagon: Canvas Auctions set Records for Second Consecutive Year"