The eight drivers competing in the 2016 National Driving Championship (NDC) at The Raceway at Western Fair District on Friday, October 14 will be able to have some input into the horses that they drive in the eight-race event.

Rather than the usual format for assigning drivers, Standardbred Canada will conduct a 'draft' for the eight races, similar to a hockey pool-style draft. This provides the drivers direct involvement in determining the horses they will drive in the National Driving Championship.

A draft was conducted for the 2014 NDC and it was extremely well received.

Corey MacPherson, one of the Atlantic Regional Driving reps feels “it’s a good way to determine your own fate, at least you get to pick something and have some control.”

Ontario Regional Driving Champion James MacDonald agrees the draft’s a good idea.

“I don’t know any way you could do it more fairly.”

ORDC runner-up Trevor Henry, who many feel will have a big advantage after being a regular and dominant driver at the London oval for so many years, feels the draft might help the drivers who aren’t from this area and give them a better shot.

The complete field for the NDC includes Brandon Campbell, Guy Gagnon, Trevor Henry, Jason Hughes, Brett MacDonald, James MacDonald, Corey MacPherson and Jim Marino.

Here is how the NDC Draft will work:

• Tuesday, October 11 - 10 a.m. (EST) Entry box closes

• Tuesday, October 11 - By 1 p.m. (EST) Alpha program pages (eight races with eight horses) will be emailed to the drivers (they will have a couple of hours to study the program pages)

• 3:30 p.m. (EST) Conference Call Draft – The eight drivers will take part in a conference call with officials from Standardbred Canada and The Raceway at the Western Fair District to conduct the draft as follows:

• First, there will be a draw to determine the order of the draft for the first round. (first through eighth) Then a random number generator draw will be used to determine the order of the draft for the balance of the races. Each driver will have a chance to draw first through eighth in the order, but the random number generator will be used so that drivers aren’t always making their selections after the same driver each time.

• In round one, the driver who has first pick can select any one of the eight horses entered in the first NDC race. Then the same follows for the second through eighth drivers from the remaining pool of horses.

• This format continues for rounds two through eight.

• Once the draft is complete, horses will be drawn to post positions for the first NDC race and a random number generator draw will be used to draw posts for the balance of the races so that each driver drives from every post position once.