Driver James MacDonald is taking a second to smell the roses. A racing injury sidelined MacDonald during portions of his 2013 campaign. Now that he is recovered and sitting second in the national drivers’ standings, the 28-year-old is aiming at loftier goals.

MacDonald’s abbreviated 2013 season saw him drive in 1,759 races and record 178 wins. His mounts earned over $1.93-million in purses and his Universal Driver Rating rested at .195. Heading into Thursday’s cards of live racing, MacDonald had driven in 1,127 races and recorded 177 wins, just one off his total for the 2013 season. His UDR is higher (.258) and he has driven his mounts to $1.89-million in purse earnings, just slightly under his total from last year.

MacDonald has discussed how he has had to work his way back up through the driving ranks since his injury. Catch-drivers are well aware of the struggles that come along with returning from the shelf. MacDonald knows it all too well, but is showing everyone that he hasn’t missed a beat.

"It's a cruel industry sometimes,” said MacDonald. “It's, 'What have you done for me lately?' When you're coming off the shelf, people don't want to put you back down. They don't want to put you on one thinking you might be timid — which you probably are. It takes a while to get back going, but I've had a lot of good horses and a lot of good trainers use me, so that makes it easier."

MacDonald is currently second to Trevor Henry in the national dash-winners category and is very close second to fellow pilot Sylvain Filion in the money-winners list (for standings, click here).

The pilot is not resting on his laurels, and is looking to knock down his next goal.

"I've been in some big races the last couple of years,” he said. “Just to be in them is fun, but to win a real big one, a Grand Circuit race would be a good goal, a good achievement."

(With files from the Guelph Mercury)