On Friday, December 30, fans at Rideau Carleton Raceway will see something they’ve never seen before at the Capital Oval

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The five-eighths-mile track will host a card of distance races at one and a quarter miles each, meaning the horses will make two turns of the circuit, starting from and ending in front of the stands. It is part of RCR’s Christmas Holiday 'Drive on for Food' promotion, which will run from December 22 to December 30.

“This will give the fans a chance to use some different handicapping angles,” said National Capital Region Harness Horse Association Director John Macmillan. “It will also be exciting visually as it delivers the up-close half-mile track experience to the fans.”

Fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items to the track in aid of Ottawa and area food banks. Those that bring a donation worth five dollars or more, or those that donate cash in kind, will be eligible for a draw to win a flat-screen television.

The festivities will kick off December 22 with NCRHHA Night. Drivers Denis St. Pierre and Gord Brown will sign autographs and participate in hat giveaways in the lower level grandstand before the races.

(RCR)