James MacDonald, Canada’s representative for the 2025 World Driving Championship (WDC), has provided an update after the second leg was held on Monday, Nov. 3 at Kaikoura Trotting Club in Kaikoura, New Zealand.
MacDonald jumped four spots to move into second place on the 2025 WDC leaderboard after earning 24 points from two second-place finishes during the second leg at Kaikoura Trotting Club on Monday.
MacDonald managed to grab 17 points during Leg 1 on Sunday, Nov. 2 at Kaikoura despite being a victim of bad luck after his first two WDC drives resulted in breaks. MacDonald drove better than he was rewarded for in Leg 1 though, and carried that momentum into Leg 2 as he advanced his position on the leaderboard.
The Canadian representative made himself available for comment post-race in the second WDC Report available below.
MacDonald’s 24 points on Monday were second only to Germany’s Michael Nimczyk, who collected 26 points on the day from a win and third-place finish, catapulting himself from ninth to fourth place overall. Australia's Gary Hall Jr. maintained the lead. The current driver standings are available below.
The WDC took a break on Tuesday, Nov. 4 and drivers and their guests enjoyed a whale watching excursion before they left the beautiful landscape of Kaikoura. Later in the day, drivers boarded a flight north to Hamilton, New Zealand where Harness Racing New Zealand organized a visit to Breckon Farms and a casual dinner for the WDC contingent. Drivers had Tuesday morning off before heading to Cambridge Raceway for the third leg of WDC competition featuring five heats. Action from Cambridge Raceway gets underway on Wednesday, Nov. 5 at 4:30 p.m. NZDT (Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 10:30 p.m. EST).
For a full recap of Leg 2, including race replays, click here.
Standardbred Canada will continue to provide updates on the 2025 World Driving Championship.
(Standardbred Canada Press Release)