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Adamson in front

Ray Adamson isn’t getting older he’s getting better.
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Ryan Arcand steers his team in the first heat of the Toyota Pony Chuckwagon Races Wednesday Westerner Days. Arcand sits in second.

Ray Adamson isn’t getting older he’s getting better.

Adamson, who is his 48th year of driving chuckwagons, charged into the lead following the opening day of the Toyota North American pony chuckwagon championships at the Westerner Wednesday.

The Camrose driver, who won his third North American title last year to go with nine second-place finishes, drove the Pidherney’s wagon from Rocky Mountain House to a one minute 17.14 second clocking.

Colby Arcand of Morinville and Jim Lang of Killam occupy second and third place respectively after a solid run in the third heat of the 14 heat event.

Arcand finished in 1:17.24 on the O’Chese Sand and Gravel outfit while Lang directed the Calfrac Well Services rig to a 1:17.38 clocking.

Six-time champion Keith Wood of Saddle Lake and the OK Tire wagon occupy fourth place after a 1:17.48 while Wade Salmond of Weekes, Sask., and the Nossack’s Fine Meats rig are fifth at 1:17.89.

Chris Spreen, who placed fourth last year, is sixth on the Trojan Safety Services rig, following a clocking of 1:18.04.

Adamson, Wood, Salmond and Spreen all came out of the final heat.

Neil Salmond of Weekes drove the Jan Buechler Sutton Landmark Realty sponsored wagon to a 1:18.07 time and is in seventh with eighth place held down by Gary Salmond of Niton Junction and the Border Paving wagon, which came in at 1:18.49.

The final two rigs in the top 10 come out of the 10th heat.

Brian Cardinal of Saddle Lake had a 1:18.52 on the Coldwell Baker-Carol Clark wagon and Ric Rosencrane of Minot, N.D., had a 1:18.54 on the Petrotreat Inc outfit.

Racing continues today through Saturday at 6:30 p.m. with Sunday’s action beginning at 2:30 p.m.