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Glass drives to chucks title

Jason Glass could have played it safe at the Red Deer Chuckwagon Championships and still been in a good position heading into the World Professional Chuckwagon Association’s world championship, set for two weeks in Edmonton.
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Kelly Sutherland (right) edged out Jason Glass in the final heat at the Red Deer Chuckwagon Championships Sunday

Jason Glass could have played it safe at the Red Deer Chuckwagon Championships and still been in a good position heading into the World Professional Chuckwagon Association’s world championship, set for two weeks in Edmonton.

But that’s not the way the defending world champion does things.

Glass took top day money and captured the aggregate title in the rain-shortened Red Deer show before a full house at the Westerner Sunday evening.

Glass actually finished second in the final heat with a time of one minute 17.56 seconds, back of Kelly Sutherland’s running time of 1:17.41. But Sutherland received a one-second penalty for a late outrider.

Even without the penalty Glass would have won the aggregate and picked up another point in the world standings on his closest rival, Obey Motowylo of Tofield, who posted a time of 1:17.60 Sunday, which was good enough for second on the day.

The Glass won the aggregate on his Birchcliffe Energy sponsored wagon with a two-day total of 2:33.53 with Motowylo and the H&E Oilfield Services rig at 2:33.69.

Glass picked up three points on Motowylo in the world standings during the Red Deer show, leaving him 30 points ahead going into Edmonton.

“Obey’s been running honest and tough all summer and continues to push me, which is great for the sport and good for the sponsors,” said Glass. “And this is far from over. We have four nights of racing (in Edmonton) and anything can happen. It can all change in one night. In fact Kelly (Sutherland) isn’t out of it yet.

“Competition is great and it will come down to whose horses comes out on top in the end.”

Glass credits his horses for his success over the last two seasons.

“The biggest thing is those horses,” said the 38-year-old from High River. “They’ve been giving it their all every night. Tonight for instance we were running four wide around that track and they just didn’t give up. They’re beautiful.

“But they’re just part of my success. My two outriders (Todd Goodley and Jason Lemieux) have been great. Without them I can’t win and I have a great crew at home and on the road. It all has to work together to win anything.”

Glass has the majority of his horses back from last year and added “five or six” new ones.

“They all contributed this season. Overall I have a lot of young talent . . . I’m excited about the future.”

But for now Glass will return home and make final preparations for Edmonton.

“I’ll head home, regroup and prepare to go to Edmonton stronger than ever. If I can put on a clean show I should be alright.”

Despite the penalty Sutherland, who calls Grande Prairie home, finished fourth on the evening at 1:18.41 on his Kay-Dee Ranching outfit and was fourth in the aggregate at 2:35.51. He sits third in the world standings, 63.5 points back of Glass.

Grant Profit of Cochrane and the Ja-Co Welding and Consulting wagon was third on the day at 1:18.18 while Doug Irvine of Bonnyville was fifth at 1:18.50 on the B&R Eckel’s Transport rig.

Chad Harden of Mulhurst Bay and the Conoco Phillips Supporting Farm Safety wagon placed sixth Sunday at 1:18.56 while Luke Tournier of Duck Lake, Sask., drove the Glencoe Resources rig to seventh place at 1:18.57. Tournier was third in the aggregate at 2:34.95.

Rick Fraser of Grande Prairie was eighth at 1:18.61 on the X-Treme Oilfield Technology wagon with Troy Flad of Warburg and Darcy Flad of Bodo ninth and tenth respectively.

Troy Flad and the Ironwood Building Services wagon had time of 1:18.69 and Darcy Flad a 1:18.73.

drode@www.reddeeradvocate.com