Glass outraces Bensmiller to win fourth Strathmore Stampede title

By Laurence Heinen Times Contributor

Make it four chuckwagon championships and counting for Jason Glass in Strathmore.

By winning Monday’s $30,000 Championship Final Heat aboard his Birchcliff Energy Ltd. wagon, Glass added a second straight Strathmore Stampede title to his collection of four (he also won in back-to-back years in 2014-15).

“It’s amazing whenever you can win anything,” said the 55-year-old reinsman from High River. “There’s so many beautiful horses here and great drivers and outriders and all the barn crew, so it always feels good when it comes together and you happen to win something.”

Off the third barrel in the ninth heat, Glass raced around the Strathmore Stampede Grounds track in a quick time of 1:13.04 to beat Cruise Bensmiller and his Rob Knight Truck Lines Ltd. outfit by 69/100ths of a second.

“Cruise must have had a nice turn,” said Glass in regards to Bensmiller being able to hold his position along the rail for the entire race. “My horses are just flying. They’re trying so hard. They’re just so happy and healthy and they seem to just get stronger every single night. They’re just absolutely loving what they’re doing right now and I’m, for the most part, a passenger, just trying to steer them, so it makes it fun when you have that much power.”

For his efforts, Glass won $15,000, while Bensmiller pocketed $7,500. Obrey Motowylo (The Co-operators) took home $4,500 for finishing third in the final, while Preston Faithful (De Havilland Aircraft Canada – Waterbomber) earned $3,000 after crossing the finish line in fourth spot.

After the race, Glass dedicated his victory to his legendary father Tom Glass, who passed away at the age of 77 on June 26.

“This is for you Dad,” Glass told the fans sitting in Brandt Stadium.

Tom Glass also won a pair of Strathmore Stampede chuckwagon titles in 1988 and 1993.

“Strathmore has always been good to our family,” said Glass, who’s sitting second in the World Professional Chuckwagon Association driver standings with 865.5 points, which is just 28 points behind Motowylo with two shows remaining on the schedule. “The crowd always has so much energy and they’ve always supported the checkerboard wagon, so that makes it fun. My horses and my Dad’s horses just have always loved this track, for some reason, so I’m excited to come here every year.”

Having support from his wife Brienne and his twins Bodie and Steele made his fourth victory in Strathmore even better.

“This year is so much more special than most, because my kids are old enough to be totally involved,” said Glass, while noting that his son was one of his outriders during two of the four performances, while his daughter rode with him in the wagon before and after the races. “Bodie’s doing a great job outriding, Steele’s helping me drive the horses, Brienne does everything and I just have so much help and support. It’s amazing.”

With Trey MacGillivray and Tyler DeSutter riding for Glass in the championship final, Bodie served as one of Faithful’s outriders in the ‘Dash For Cash.’

“Obviously, I wanted Dad to win, but I also wanted Preston to win, too – I had two chances, I guess, to get it,” Bodie said. “Just being with the family and even just getting to ride at this age (15) and getting into the Dash, it’s great having two rides here for Preston and Dad.

“Preston treats me so good. Obviously, no driver wants to hire a new kid that’s coming up, but Preston he took an opportunity on me.”

After the dust settled in Strathmore, the contingent of WPCA Pro Tour drivers quickly packed up to make the long trek to Dawson Creek, B.C., for the Battle of the North, which runs from Wednesday to Sunday.

NOTES: Each of the first eight heats on Sunday were also its own separate ‘Dash For Cash.’ Other winners (with respective prize amounts) were Jordie Fike ($1,088.63), Darcy Flad ($1,578.51), Layne MacGillivray ($2,068.39), Chance Bensmiller ($2,558.27), Evan Magee ($3,048.15), Dustin Gorst ($3,374.74), Mitch Sutherland ($3,701.33) and Dayton Sutherland ($4,354.50). … In an exciting sixth heat, Gorst guided his Century Downs Racetrack and Casino outfit to victory by just 1/100ths of a second over Kris Molle and his X-Treme Packaging Services Inc. rig.