It was a perfect night for chuckwagon racing as the final 10 heats of the 2024 Ponoka Stampede got under way.
First up, the All-Pro Canadian Chuckwagon Championship heat!
Herb Arcand won the heat with a time of 1:16.73, followed closely by Phil Arcand, who had a time of 1:16.79.
Following the All-Pro, the racing moved to the World Professional Chuckwagon Association races.
Beginning at heat one, the prize money escalated culminating with the $75,000 Tommy Dorchester Dash for Cash.
Racing legend Kirk Sutherland took part as part of heat one, in what is to be his final appearance at the Ponoka Stampede after having previously announced his intention to hang up the reins at the end of the season.
Jamie Laboucane won the first heat with a time of 1:15.59.
Roger Moore and his team took heat two with a time of 1:17.66.
In heat three, Doug Irvine came out on top with a time of 1:19.04.
Following the arena being groomed, heat four got underway with Wade Salmond coming out on top thanks to his run of 1:15.62.
In the $13,800 heat five, Evan Salmond took the heat with a run of 1:17 flat.
Meanwhile, in heat six, Josh Hyrnyk built on the previous night's success winning the heat and the lion's share of the $14,600 purse.
In heat seven, the reigning Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby champion, Layne MacGillivray with a time of 1:17.99, fell to Dayton Sutherland, with a time of 1:17.92.
Heat eight featured a $17,800 purse and some of the fastest drivers of the week, and was won by Chad Fike with a time of 1:16.58.
Finally, it was time for the Dash for Cash.
Securing their spots in the championship heat were reigning Ponoka Stampede champion Chanse Vigin, Luke Tournier, Kurt Bensmiller, and Rae Croteau Jr.
In a heart-breaking upset, Vigen hit a barrel at the start of his run incurring a five-second penalty, which dropped him to last place, leaving the door open for "Lightning" Luke Tournier to swoop in and secure the win, and the $75,000.
Vigen did not leave empty-handed though; he was still the aggregate winner for the week's racing.