Winning the 2022 Battle of the North Championship was a family affair. Left to right: Mark Heselwood of Brown's Chevrolet Buick GMC, Walter Fritsche of Aurora Farms, driver Layne MacGillivray, Dylan Fritsche of Aurora Farms, Loreena MacGillivray, outriders Trey MacGillivray and Brendan Nolin, Aaron Powell of Brown's Chevrolet Buick GMC. (Submitted photo/Billy Melville)

By Ben Tompkins

Melfort Native

Layne MacGillivray wins 2022 Battle of the North Championship

Aug 15, 2022 | 5:35 PM

Layne MacGillivray’s passion for chuckwagon racing was in full showing this past weekend at the 2022 Battle of the North Championship in Dawson Creek, B.C.

The Melfort-born racer won the five-day event/race after qualifying with a four-place finish in the first four days and winning the final heat on Sunday night.

This marks his first win of the season as he took home a very nice $20,000 purse.

“It definitely means a lot,” MacGillivray told northeastNOW. “We haven’t won a whole bunch through our career this last while and it feels good to maybe get the monkey off our backs here.”

While MacGillivray no longer lives in Melfort, as he currently resides near Stettler, Alta., his father still lives in the area.

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He said he learned a lot from his dad, who used to race himself back in the 1980s.

MacGillivary said he’s always looked at chuckwagon racer in the same sort of light his dad did.

“It was always something that I enjoyed watching and being around. In 1987 a friend of his broke his hand and asked my dad to come back and drive his outfit that year. My dad went out after that, on horses again, in 1988 and we’ve been on the road ever since.”

Layne’s son, Trey, currently works as an outrider on his crew, having helped his father to this most recent victory.

The $20,000 worth of winnings will go towards re-investing into their chuck wagon racing ventures.

MacGillivray mentioned how their ‘business’ is a costly one and the money will definitely help.

Not only is it costly when talking money terms, but it also costs a lot of time.

“We’ve been very fortunate with the people that we’ve got surrounding us right now, it makes it enjoyable,” he said. We’ve got a good crew that follows us up and down the road and some that come when we’re closer to home.”

“Our families, they’re totally invested in this too. It’s an investment and something as a family, you have to enjoy doing a lot of work and it costs a lot of money. We’ve been fortunate enough this year to have a really good year, so it’s been rewarding for sure.”

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter @BenTompkins_8