Heavy rainfall throughout the Bonnyville area forced the cancellation of Championship Monday at the 2026 Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship, leaving organizers to determine the champion based on aggregate times from the first three days of racing.

As a result, Logan Gorst and the Flashpoint Electric Ltd. outfit were crowned 2026 Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship winners after posting the fastest three-day aggregate time of 3:53.68.

The championship had been set up for an exciting conclusion. Following Saturday night’s races, Gorst had secured the top qualifying position for the $25,000 winner-take-all Championship Final Heat. Joining him in Monday’s final were Chanse Vigen, Darcy Flad and Rae Croteau Jr.

Unfortunately, continued rainfall and unsafe track conditions prevented the final from taking place.

Gorst’s consistency throughout the weekend proved to be the difference as he finished atop the aggregate standings to claim the Bonnyville title.

Bensmiller Opened the Weekend with Day One Victory

While Logan Gorst ultimately claimed the championship, it was veteran driver Kurt Bensmiller who set the pace early in the weekend.

The Dewberry driver and his outfit captured the fastest time on Night 1, adding another highlight to a career that has already cemented him among the most accomplished chuckwagon drivers of his generation.

A four-time World Champion and four-time Calgary Stampede Rangeland Derby champion, Bensmiller remains one of the toughest competitors on the WPCA circuit. His Day 1 victory helped set the tone for a highly competitive weekend that featured several of the sport’s top drivers battling for a place in the Championship Final.

Croteau Posts Fastest Time of Day Three

Saturday’s final night of qualifying was run under cloudy skies, light rain and temperatures hovering around 16 C as drivers made one final push for a place in the championship heat.

Rae Croteau Jr. and the Bar L-5 Ranch Ltd. outfit captured the Kirk’s Trail Tire Wheels on Fire Fast Time of the Night with a run of 1:17.87 from barrel four in the tenth heat.

The run was 25 one-hundredths of a second faster than Dayton Sutherland, who finished second on the night.

Tuff Dreger, Logan Gorst and Layne Flad rounded out the top five fastest times.

Near Miss for Motowylo

One of the closest storylines of the weekend belonged to Grande Prairie Stompede champion Obrey Motowylo.

Motowylo narrowly missed qualifying for the Championship Final, finishing fifth overall and just one one-hundredth of a second behind the cut line.

Had Monday’s championship race gone ahead, the four finalists would have battled for the entire purse in a sudden-death showdown.

Instead, Mother Nature had the final say.

Despite the rain-shortened finish, fans were treated to three days of competitive racing and another successful edition of the Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship.