A soggy track made for slower times during the second performance of the North American Pony Chuckwagon Championship Thursday at Westerner Park, but didn’t bother veteran Lee Adamson.
The Camrose driver crossed the finish line aboard the A-1 Rentals wagon with the evening’s fastest time — one minute, 20.60 seconds. Coupled with his time of 1:19.98 Wednesday, Adamson has a total clocking of 2:40.58 and will take nearly a second lead over first-day leader Keith Wood of Saddle Lake into today’s third running.
Wood, the defending and eight-time North American champ, came from behind to win Heat 13 in 1:21.47 on the Westock Frame and Wheel Alignment rig out of Red Deer and has a total time of 2:41.37.
Sitting third after two runnings is Neil Salmond of Niton Junction, whose time of 1:22.09 aboard the Uncle Ben’s RV outfit from Red Deer Thursday gave him a total clocking of 2:42.31. In fourth place is Louis Johner of Mayerthorpe (1:21.89 Thursday on the Red Deer Paradise RV wagon, 2:42.47 total), while Curtis Hogg of Sedgewick is fifth with a time of 2:42.91 aboard the Kellough Enterprises rig out of Red Deer after crossing the line in 1:22.48 Thursday.
Rounding out the top 10 after two performances are Gary Thiel of Sherwood Park (1:21.34 Thursday, 2:43.29 total, Red Deer Pumps and Pressure); Brian Miller of Drumheller (1:22.95, 2:43.30 total, Westerner Board of Directors); Marvin Hubl of Eckville (1:22.42, 2:43.61 total, Eldorado Pressure Services of Rocky Mountain House); Wade Salmond of Weekes, Sask. (1:22.93, 2:44.40 total, Nossack Fine Meats of Red Deer); and Kevin Desjarlais of Elizabeth Metis Settlement (1:21.66, 2:44.59 total, The Pipe Yard of Blackfalds).
The North American Pony Chuckwagon Championship continues today at 6 p.m. The wagons roll at the same time Saturday, with the finals set for 2:30 p.m. Sunday.