Standardbred
Canada is pleased to announce the host tracks and dates for the 2018 Regional Driving Championships and National
Driving Championship which will ultimately determine Canada’s representative to
the 2019 World Driving Championship.
The
2018 National Driving Championship will take place at Grand River Raceway, in
Elora, Ont., on Wednesday, September 26.
"Grand
River Raceway is truly thrilled to host, for the first
time, the National Driving Championship," said the track's Marketing
Manager, Kelly Spencer. "We're
keen to showcase our beautiful community and facility on the national stage and
welcome the country's finest reinsmen in what is sure to be a first-class
event. We're riding the momentum of James MacDonald's WDC win in 2017 which
will only elevate the already prestigious spirit of the event. Oh Canada!"
Grand
River Raceway has hosted the Ontario Regional Driving Championship several
times, including the most recent event in 2016.
Drivers
must earn their way into the National Driving Championship by finishing first
or second in their respective Regional Driving Championship.
In
addition to a first time host for the National event, there are also two first
time hosts for the Regionals – Kawartha Downs in Fraserville, Ont., will host
the Eastern Ontario / Quebec Regional Driving Championship and Truro Raceway in
Truro, NS, will host the Atlantic Regional event. Century Downs near Calgary, Alta., will host
the Western Regional and The Raceway at Western Fair District in London, Ont.,
will be the site of the Ontario Regional.
“Standardbred
Canada is looking forwarding to partnering with our host tracks to present four
exciting and competitive Regional Driving Championships which will lead into
the National Driving Championship. We
are very pleased to see the interest that tracks across the country have in
hosting these events, including our two first time track partners this year for
Regional events, Kawartha Downs and Truro Raceway,” said Dan Gall, President
& CEO of Standardbred Canada. “We
are also looking forward to working with the team at Grand River Raceway to
deliver an exceptional National Driving Championship experience for both the
drivers and the fans.”
Here
are the locations and dates for the four regional events:
Western
Regional
-- Century Downs; Saturday, June 23
(Includes drivers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) This will mark the second time that Century Downs will host the Western Regional. They were the host track for the 2016 event.
(Includes drivers from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba) This will mark the second time that Century Downs will host the Western Regional. They were the host track for the 2016 event.
Ontario
Regional
– The Raceway at Western Fair District, Wednesday, May 16 (Includes drivers from Ontario) The Raceway hosted the 2016
National Driving Championship and the 2014 Ontario Regional Driving
Championship.
Quebec
/ Eastern Ontario Regional – Kawartha Downs, Saturday, June 30 (Includes drivers that compete regularly at
Kawartha Downs and Rideau Carleton Raceway in addition to Hippodrome 3R)
Atlantic
Regional
– Truro Raceway, Friday, June 29
(Includes drivers from New Brunswick,
Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island)
Regional
events will feature either eight or nine drivers who will compete in a minimum
of eight races. Drivers will receive points based on their finishing position
and the top two point earners will advance to the National.Past
winners of the NDC title include Brandon Campbell (2016), Jody Jamieson (2014
& 2011), Brad Forward (2009), and Gilles Barrieau (2007).
The
winner of the 2018 National Driving Championship will have the opportunity to
represent Canada in the World Driving Championship, and join 2017 World Driving
Champion, James MacDonald, in the 2019 World Driving Championship in Sweden.
SC hosted the 2017 World
Driving Championship (WDC) in August and MacDonald’s victory earned him an
automatic invitation to the 2019 event in which he will become the
representative for the International Trotting Association.Canada was invited to send a second driver to the 2019 event and Standardbred Canada accepted the invitation.
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