The 2022 National Driving Championship, presented by Standardbred Canada, will take place tonight (Thursday, Nov. 24) at Century Mile Racetrack and Casino. One of the eight drivers will represent Canada in the 2023 World Driving Championship next August in The Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.
Eight drivers from across the country have qualified in four regional events co-ordinated by Standardbred Canada and will congregate in Edmonton, Alta. this evening. Here is a recap of the qualifying events from earlier this year:
Louis-Philippe Roy captured the 2022 Ontario Regional Driving Championship (ORDC), held Wednesday, May 11 at The Raceway at Western Fair District in London, Ont. Roy advanced with Doug McNair as the runner-up.
The driver nicknamed 'The Maritime Magic Man' and the horseman dubbed 'The King of Island Racing' would not be denied chances to represent their country in the 2023 World Driving Championship, as Gilles Barrieau and Marc Campbell emerged victorious from the 2022 Atlantic Regional Driving Championship (ARDC) held on Saturday, July 30 at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Samuel Fillion emerged victorious in the Quebec / Eastern Ontario Regional Driving Championship (QEORDC) at Hippodrome 3R in Trois-Rivières, Que. on Sunday, June 26. Fillion will be joined at the NDC by QEORDC runner-up Pascal Berube.
Alberta native Mike Hennessy secured the opportunity to represent Western Canada in winning the 2022 Western Regional Driving Championship at Century Downs on Sunday, June 19. Hennessy will be joined by third-place finisher Dave Kelly.
The NDC races are carded as Races 3-10. First race post time is 6:15 p.m. (MST), 8:15 p.m. (EST), and 9:15 p.m. (AST).
The action will be streamed live on the SC website and will feature Josh Murphy and Peter Lurie providing colour commentary and post-race driver interviews.
Upon arrival at Century Mile, racing fans can meet and mingle with the eight competing drivers in the NDC. The first 200 racing fans to attend will receive a souvenir Standardbred Canada / NDC hat, courtesy of Standardbred Canada, from one of the drivers and they can also ask for an autograph!
Enter the “Choose The Champ” contest on-site for a chance a winning $500 cash! Sponsored by Century Mile, entrants must complete a ballot (ballots will be in the race program) and put it in the ballot box of the driver you think will win the NDC. The winning driver will draw the Grand Prize winner at the end of the NDC races.
There will also be a good luck banner on display in the racetrack entrance for fans to sign and wish the driver’s good luck in the evening’s races!
If you can’t make it to the track this evening, you can enter the NDC Online Handicapping Contest for your chance to win a $100 HPI Card, 125 TrackIT credits and an official NDC toque!
Trot Insider will provide live race-by-race coverage of the NDC on standardbredcanada.ca.
To view Thursday's complete harness racing entries, click the following links:
Thursday Entries - Century Mile // Program Pages (courtesy of TrackIT).