The WPCA is gearing up for another Chuckwagon season and held their annual tarp auction across the province Thursday night, including the Crown and Derby Pub in Bonnyville. Unfortunately, the state of the Albertan economy was very much reflected in the totals.
“Although loyal tarp sponsors continued to support their favorite drivers and new companies got involved, economic challenges took [their toll], writes Billy Melville on the WPCA’s website. ” The overall total of the sale was down $81,700.00 over the same eight locations in 2016. 37 drivers were auctioned off as Layne Bremner has decided to retire following the 2017 Ponoka Stampede and will be replaced for the remainder of the year by 3rd generation driver Blaid Flad. 2016 WPCA Top Rookie Driver Cody Fraser will not be competing in 2017.”
Bonnyville fit in with this trend, with total bids down 12,500 dollars for the Bonnvyille Chuckwagon Championship over last year.
The totals per driver are below.
| Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship |
| Driver |
Sponsor |
Amount Bid |
| Roger Moore |
Rusway Construction Ltd. |
$10,500.00 |
| Logan Gorst |
Flashpoint Electric Inc. |
$8,000.00 |
| Layne MacGillivray |
Cougar Fuels |
$7,000.00 |
| Doug Irvine |
B & R Eckel’s Transport Ltd. |
$6,000.00 |
| Chanse Vigen |
Triple M Plumbing |
$6,000.00 |
| Obrey Motowylo |
H & E Oilfield Services Ltd. |
$6,000.00 |
| Kurt Bensmiller |
Friends of George Normand |
$5,500.00 |
| Dustin Gorst |
United Travel |
$5,000.00 |
| Troy Dorchester |
LaFarge Canada Ltd. |
$5,000.00 |
| Mitch Sutherland |
GMC Dealers of Alberta |
$5,000.00 |
| Luke Tournier |
NOVA Mechanical Systems |
$4,500.00 |
| Gary Gorst |
NCSG/Scorpion Industries |
$4,000.00 |
| Chad Harden |
 Xtreme Oilfield Technology |
$4,000.00 |
| Jason Glass |
Glass Racing |
$4,000.00 |
| Ross Knight |
The Kidz Wagon |
$4,000.00 |
| Kirk Sutherland |
EMCO Corporation |
$3,750.00 |
| Jordie Fike |
Bonnyville Home Hardware |
$3,750.00 |
| Colt Cosgrave |
Friends of CC |
$3,250.00 |
| Codey McCurrach |
Ziegler’s Oilfield Consulting Ltd. |
$3,000.00 |
| John Walters |
BJ Enterprises |
$3,000.00 |
| Rick Fraser |
Pentastar Group of Companies |
$3,000.00 |
| Troy Flad |
Ironwood Building Corp. |
$3,000.00 |
| Blaid Flad |
Compass Access Solutions Ltd. |
$3,000.00 |
| Chad Fike |
MHK Insurance |
$2,750.00 |
| Darcy Flad |
Mavericks Pub |
$2,750.00 |
| Vern Nolin |
Nolin Racing |
$2,500.00 |
| Mark Sutherland |
BPRCA |
$2,500.00 |
| Kelly Sutherland |
Friends of the King |
$2,500.00 |
| Mike Vigen |
BPRCA |
$2,500.00 |
| Cliff Cunningham |
Ron May Consulting |
$2,500.00 |
| Evan Salmond |
Salmond Racing |
$2,500.00 |
| Cody Ridsdale |
BPRCA |
$2,500.00 |
| Curtis Morin |
BPRCA |
$2,500.00 |
| Jim Knight |
BPRCA |
$2,500.00 |
| Dayton Sutherland |
BPRCA |
$2,500.00 |
| Layne Bremner |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Total Amount Bid |
$140,750.00 |
|
|
|
|
Average Bid |
$3,909.72 |
|
|
|
|
Median Bid |
$3,125.00 |
|
|
|
|
High Bid |
$10,500.00 |
|
|
|
|
Low Bid |
$2,500.00 |
|
|
|
|
2016 Total |
$153,000.00 |
|
|
|
|
Difference Over 2016 |
-$12,250.00 |
