World Financial Group

World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon driver Buddy Bensmiller visited Drumheller, AB this past weekend for the Badlands Dinosaur Derby.  While we can’t confirm any actual dinosaur races took place, Buddy did race in three heats opposite Kelly Sutherland and Jerry Bremner.

On Buddy’s first day of racing, he finished second in his heat.  His time of 1:11.03 earned him 14 points.  Day two for Buddy and the WFG logo-tarped wagon seemed, at first, not to be starting very well, with him crossing the finish line third with a time of 1:09.85.  However, Buddy’s competitor, Jerry Bremner had three penalties, which resulted in Buddy moving into second place with 21 points.

The final day of the Badlands Dinosaur Derby was Buddy’s best.  The WFG-sponsored driver ran a clean race and crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:08.15 and 60 points.  Overall, Buddy finished just outside the top ten with a total time of 3:29.03 and 95 points.

In the world standings, Buddy remains in second place with 1148.5 points.  Next Buddy will race the WFG logo-tarped chuckwagon in the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Finals starting Sept. 1 in Edmonton.  We wish Buddy continued success in the finals!

The 2010 World Professional Chuckwagon Association season continued at the Rocky Mountain Chuckwagon Championship in Rocky Mountain House, AB the weekend of August 19-22.  Among those racing was World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon driver Buddy Bensmiller who faced off each day against Jerry Bremner, Kelly Sutherland and Kirk Sutherland.

The first day of the RMCC was a slow starter for Buddy and the WFG logo-tarped wagon.  He crossed the finish line fourth in a close race with a time of 1:20.40.  However, Kirk was penalized for a “wheel knocked barrel”, allowing Buddy’s 16 points to earn him third place.

Day two also saw a fourth place finish for Buddy.  His time of 1:22.99 was almost three seconds off the leader and earned him 6 points.  The third day Buddy drove the WFG tarped wagon to a finish of 1:23.09.  Despite running a clean race, his time earned him third place and 16 points.

The final day of racing saw Buddy cross the finish line first with a time of 1:23.85, earning him 32 points.  Overall, Buddy finished the Rocky Mountain Chuckwagon Championship with a total time of 5:30.33 and 70 points.

In the World Standings, our WFG-sponsored racer remains in second place with a total of 1053.5 points.  Up next for Buddy is the Badlands Dinosaur Stampede in Drumheller, AB, starting on August 27.  We wish Buddy all the best for the remainder of the season!

World Financial Group continues its tradition of NASCAR sponsorship as it sponsors the No. 16 WFG Ford Fusion, driven by racing great Matt Kenseth, in the Nationwide Series Great Clips 300 at Atlanta Motor Speedway in Atlanta, Ga. on September 4. 

Matt has been tearing up the NASCAR circuit since 1997.  To date, he has started in 364 Nationwide and Sprint Cup races.  In those races, he has finished in the top 10 in 173 of them, along with 94 top-five finishes and has won 18 races outright.  Matt has also qualified for the “Chase for the Cup” five out of six years, winning it in 2003.  A native of Cambridge, WI, Kenseth now resides in Mooresville, NC, with his family.

Keep reading WFGSports.com for the latest on our NASCAR and other sports sponsorships.

Roush Fenway Racing trademarks, Matt Kenseth’s name and/or likeness used by authority of Roush Fenway Racing, LLC.

Things are starting to heat up in the 2010 World Professional Chuckwagon Association season.  Among those in the hunt for first place is World Financial Group-sponsored Buddy Bensmiller, who he raced the WFG-tarped wagon in the Battle of the North at the Dawson Creek (AB) Exhibition from Aug. 11 - 15.  In this meet, Buddy raced in the ninth heat all four days opposite Luke Tounier, Kelly Sutherland and Chad Harden.

Day one got off to a slow start for the WFG-sponsored “Dewberry Rocket”, whose time of 1:17.59 meant a finish in fourth place and earned him 8 points in the standings. However, the second day of the “Battle of the North” was a better day for the WFG chuckwagon racer.  Buddy’s time of 1:15.64 , just eleven hundredths of a second off the leader, earned him second place and 30 points.

Day three of chuckwagon racing in Dawson Creek was Buddy’s best of the exhibition.  Facing off opposite Luke, Kelly and Chad resulted Buddy came in as the victor with a fast time of 1:15.95.  His first place finish was also good for 34 points.

The final day of racing saw Buddy and the WFG-tarped wasn’t as fast, with Buddy’s time of 1:20.37 being his slowest of the meet but still earned him 43 points.  For the “Battle of the North”, Buddy’s combined time of 6:26.29 was the twelfth fastest and he had a 145 points total.

Buddy still holds second place overall in aggregate points for the 2010 WPCA season, and there are three meets left before this season finishes.  Up next for the World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon racer is the Rocky Mountain House Chuckwagon Championship starting on August 19.  Visit wpca.com to see videos of Buddy and the WFG tarp in action.

World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon racer Buddy Bensmiller recently competed in Bonnyville, a town in east central Alberta, at the Bonnyville Chuckwagon Championship from July 22-25.  Buddy and the WFG-tarped chuckwagon also raced in Strathmore, AB at the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship, which is scheduled during the Strathmore Heritage Days Stampede from July 29 to Aug. 2.  How did Buddy do?

On the first day in Bonnyville, the WFG-sponsored “Dewberry Rocket” faced off opposite Kelly Sutherland and Luke Tournier for the first three days of the four-day event. Buddy crossed the finish line third with a time of 1:18.58, both his opponents suffered significant penalties, which put Buddy’s time in first and earned him 18 points.

On the second day of competition Buddy improved his time in the chuckwagon with the WFG logo – crossing the finish line at 1:17.36, and tying for first with Luke and earning him 28 points.  Day three the WFG-sponsored driver crossed the finish line second with a time of 1:21.94 earning him 44.5 points. 

The final day at Bonnyville featured Buddy in a heat opposite Luke Tournier and Tony Dorchester. Buddy’s time of 1:19.48 was good for first in his heat and an additional 29 points, allowing the World Financial Group-sponsored racer to leave Bonnyville with a total racing time of 5:17.36 and 119.5 points - a top ten finish.

On day one in Strathmore Buddy faced Kelly Sutherland, Luke Tournier and Chad Harden. Buddy’s drive in the WFG-tarped chuckwagon earned him in a fourth place finish with a time of 1:17.59 and just 8 points.  Day two of the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship saw an improved time for Buddy - he finished second at 1:15.64, just 0.12 seconds off the leader, and earned 30 points.

The third day of the Championship, Buddy saw his fastest time - 1:15.26 - of the competition, earning him first place for his heat and 34 points in the standings.  Unfortunately, day four in Strathmore wasn’t as kind for Buddy, as he earned a third place finish and 43 points with his time of 1:20.37.

The last day of the Strathmore Heritage Days Stampede saw two new racers,- Codey McCurrach and Hugh Sinclair – running against the WFG-tarped chuckwagon and Chad Harden.  This heat ended in a fourth place finish for Buddy with a time of 1:17.43 and 30 points. 

Overall, Buddy finished the WPCA Dodge Pro Tour Championship in twelfth place with a total racing time of 6:26.29 and 145 points.

The World Financial Group-sponsored driver is still in the running to win the 2010 WPCA season.  His total of 822.5 points has him in second place in the world standings, only 21 points behind the leader.

Buddy will have the chance to propel the World Financial Group tarp to first at the next competition – the Dawson Creek Battle of the North - that begins on August 11.  Keep on riding!

World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon driver Buddy Bensmiller recently competed in the North American Chuckwagon Championship (NACC), held in High River, AB, and the Ponoka Stampede.  How did our driver fare?

High River’s first day for Buddy turned out to be a low one.   He faced Jason Glass, Cliff Cunningham and Kurt Bensmiller (Buddy’s son) in the day’s last heat and came in fourth with a time of 1:20.13, earning him seven points.  Day two saw improvement for Buddy and the WFG-tarped wagon, as his time of 1:17.67 was enough to win his heat opposite the same three drivers.  That earned him 32 points.

On the third day of the NACC was also a good one for the “Dewberry Rocket”.  Again, in the day’s last heat opposite the same three drivers, Buddy finished with an even better time of 1:17.04 and 33 points.  However, the final day in High River saw Buddy finish fourth with a time of 1:19.43 and 31 points.  Overall, Buddy and the WFG wagon finished 15^th with a time of 5:14.27 and 103 points.

For Buddy’s first day at the Ponoka Stampede had him in the last heat opposite Luke Tournier, Kelly Sutherland and Cliff Cunningham.  Although Buddy crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:17.57, he was assessed five penalty seconds for having a wheel of his wagon knock over a barrel, which resulted in him earning only six points. 

The second day was very productive for the World Financial Group-sponsored driver.  Buddy’s time of 1:18.65 was enough to win his heat and earn him 30.5 points opposite the same three drivers.

Buddy rode in heat number nine opposite the same teams on day three of the Ponoka Stampede.  His time of 1:19.11 and 15 points ensured him a third place finish, although he did have a late outrider penalty.  Another third place finish was earned for the WFG-tarped wagon on day 4, with Budding earning a time of 1:17.22 and 39 points.

Day five of the Stamped saw a change of pace for our chuckwagon driver as Buddy raced in the fifth heat opposite Mark Sutherland, Hugh Sinclair and Reg Johnstone.  However, Buddy again earned third place with a time of 1:16.35 and 31 points.  The final day of the Stampede saw Buddy racing in heat seven opposite Lincoln Douglas, John Walters and Mark Sutherland again.  This seemed to be the heat Buddy was waiting for – as his time of 1:16.54 was the best of the Stampede and earned him first place in his heat, and he was rewarded 29.5 points.

Overall, the Ponoka Stampede for Buddy was a better than High River: his combined time of 7:50.44 and 151 points was good for 14^th place.  In the World Standings for the 2010 season, Buddy is now in second place with 558 points.  Keep reading WFGsports.com for the latest on the exciting racing from the WFG-sponsored chuckwagon driver!

On June 11-13, World Financial Group-sponsored chuckwagon driver Buddy Bensmiller, in second place for the season, raced in the Medicine Hat (Alberta) Exhibition & Stampede.  How did Buddy fare over three days of racing?

For day one, Buddy competed in the twelfth (and last) heat of the day opposite Rae Croteau, Jr. and Buddy’s son, Kurt.  Buddy had a fast run of 1:03.07, which initially earned him third place.  However, one of Rae’s wheels knocked over a barrel, constituting a five second penalty and a serious deduction of points, which mean Buddy was bumped to second place and earning him 26 points.

During the second day in Medicine Hat, Buddy again faced off in heat number twelve opposite Rae and Kurt.  Day two was even kinder to our driver under the WFG tarp, as Buddy finished with a time of 1:01.35 - his fastest time this season - which earned him first place in his race and 33 points for a clean race.

Day three found Buddy again in the twelfth heat opposite the same two drivers.  As the saying goes the third time is the charm, and Buddy certainly was charmed, finishing the run with a time of 1:01.17 - even faster than yesterday.  He earned 68 points for his race. Buddy’s combined time of 3:05.59 earned him 129 total points and third place overall.

The current WPCA standings are even better for our World Financial Group-sponsored driver.  As of the end June Buddy Bensmiller is on top of the leader board with a total of 304 points.  Up next for Buddy is the North American Chuckwagon Championship in High River, AB this June 24-27.  I, and the rest of WFG, are behind you!

For yet another season of fast-paced chuckwagon racing, World Financial Group is proud to sponsor World Professional Chuckwagon Association racing legend Buddy Bensmiller.  And the 2010 WPCA started its season at the Grand Prairie Stompede in Alberta May 26-30. 

On day one, Buddy raced opposite Brian Mayan, Rae Croteau Jr. and Barry Hodgson in the fifth heat.  And the “Dewberry Rocket’s” first race of the season was a clean one for him.  His time of 1:18.48 earned him second place and 31 points, only less than two second off the lead. 

The second day of racing saw Buddy and the blue WFG chuckwagon in another fifth heat opposite the same three drivers.  Alas, day two was not very good for Buddy.  His racing team was given a false start penalty, resulting in a one second penalty.  As a result, his official time of 1:19.73 and 13 points placed him in third.

But day three turned out to be much better for the World Financial Group team.  In another fifth heat opposite the same drivers, Buddy raced across the finish line first with a time of 1:17.59.  This earned him 32 points.

And day four was even better as the “Dewberry Rocket” squeaked by the same competitors in the fifth heat with a time of 1:16.25.  This was enough to earn Buddy and the WFG tarp 66 points and second place among all 36 teams.  Way to go Buddy!

The last day saw a change of pace.  Buddy raced in the penultimate heat opposite Darcy Flad, Tim Haroldson and David Bensmiller, Buddy’s son – but this didn’t throw Buddy off his rhythm.  He took the early lead and never let it go, even facing down a late challenge from his son.  His time of 1:19.54 earned him the win and 35 points.  Among all racers, he placed second for the day.

Overall, the Grand Prairie Stompede was great for Buddy and the WFG tarp.  His combined time of 6:31.59 and 177 points places him in second among all teams going into the next event in Dewberry, Buddy’s hometown, starting on June 4.  Let’s wish Buddy continued success this season!

The World Financial Group-sponsored USA Luge Olympic team visited Washington, D.C. on April 22.  And, like any tourist, the team members visited the United States Capitol, Arlington National Cemetery, the Washington Monument and the Smithsonian Institute.  But when they visited the White House, the team got to meet President Barack Obama and the First Lady, Michelle Obama.  The meeting was made possible by former USA Luge team member Richard Kolko, now a special agent with the FBI.

Visit the USA Luge website and the World Financial Group official FaceBook page to see pictures of this meeting, as well as team members laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Solider.  And keep reading WFGsports.com for the latest news on “the fastest sport on ice.”

The 2009-10 Grand Slam of Curling season came to an end last week with the Player’s Championship held in Dawson Creek, BC.  Among the competitors were the World Financial Group-sponsored Ferbey 4, consisting of Randy Ferbey, David Nedohin, Scott Pfeifer and Marcel Rocque.  Here’s how the last tournament of the season played out.

Things began slowly for the team.  Their first opponent in this triple-knockout tournament was Dale Matchett’s rink out of Bradford, ON on Tuesday, April 13.  While the Ferbey rink had the hammer and scored two rocks in the first end, those were the only two rocks they’d score as Dale’s rink won this one 5-2 in seven ends.  Later that evening, the four men in the WFG logo curling shirts took on Martin Ferland out of Quebec.  Despite Ferland having the hammer, the Ferbey 4 took eight ends to win the game 8-6.  Five of those eight rocks were scored in the second end.

Our WFG-sponsored curling rink returned to “the house” on April 14 to take on Glenn Howard’s rink out of Coldwater, ON.  Glenn’s rink had the hammer and used it to win 8-4 in six ends.

That loss provided a day off four the Ferbey 4, but they returned on Friday, April 16 to take on the Edmonton rink of Ted Applemam.  The day off proved to be fruitful for the Ferbey 4, as the rested team needed only needed six ends to win 9-4.

The very next morning saw the WFG-sponsored Ferbey rink up against Reid Carruther’s rink from Winnipeg, MB.  But the match didn’t last long as Randy and the team had and used the hammer to win 7-1 in four ends.  David and Marcel tied for highest accuracy with 94%.  The win qualified the Ferbey 4 for the quarterfinals.

Unfortunately, the quarterfinals would be the furthest the Ferbey team would get in the Player’s Championship.  Their opponent in the game, Brad Gushue’s rink out of St. John’s, NF, had the hammer and used it to knock our guys out of the tournament by a score of 8-3.  Among the team, Marcel had the best accuracy with 97%.

Keep reading wfgsports.com for the latest sporting action!