The 2015 World Driving Championship will begin on Saturday night at Tabcorp Park Menangle in Sydney, Australia, with the ten drivers competing in two races on the twelve-race program.
Representing nine different countries, the drivers will compete in race seven, an event over 1,609 metres (one mile) for pacers, and race nine which is for trotters and will be over the distance of 2,300 metres (1-7/16 miles).
Here is the complete competitor’s list: (driver's name and country listed)
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Guillermo Adrover - Spain
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Chris Alford - Australia
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Dexter Dunn - New Zealand
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Mika Forss - Finland
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Vidar Hop - Norway
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Jody Jamieson - Canada
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Tony le Beller - France
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Peter McMullen - Australia (Travelling Reserve)
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Knud Mönster - Denmark
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Tim Tetrick - United States of America
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Pierre Vercruysse - France (Defending Champion)
Canadian Jody Jamieson could be the driver to catch early after drawing Major Moment and talented trotter Vincennes in the first two heats. Major Moment has won his past three starts, with the most recent victory coming at Menangle last Saturday night. The Blake Fitzpatrick-trained Vincennes was unplaced at his last two starts but both were against stronger opposition in Gr. 1 races in Victoria. Prior to heading to Melbourne, Vincennes had won four races in a row at Menangle.
To view the entries for Saturday's card at Menangle, click the following link:
Menangle will also be the venue for the final heat in the 20-race series with that event scheduled for Sunday, March 1. The drivers will head to Newcastle on Sunday to compete in three races. It was expected that the Championship would then head to Goulburn on Monday but due to unforeseen circumstances, the three heats set to be run at Goulburn have been transferred and will now be run at Wagga Wagga on Tuesday.
“With the support of the trainers and drivers in the Riverina, Wagga Wagga will now run seven heats of the World Driving Championship on Tuesday,” Harness Racing New South Wales Chief Executive Officer John Dumesny said.
The Championship will continue on Wednesday at Bathurst with a further four heats before heading to Penrith for three on Thursday. The drivers will then prepare to drive in the last heat at Menangle on Sunday afternoon. Here is the schedule of race dates, tracks and number of races:
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Saturday, February 21 - Tabcorp Park Menangle - Two (2) Heats
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Sunday, February 22 - Newcastle - Three (3) Heats
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Tuesday, February 24 - Wagga - Seven (7) Heats
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Wednesday, February 25 - Bathurst - Four (4) Heats
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Thursday, February 26 - Penrith - Three (3) Heats
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Sunday, March 1 - Tabcorp Park Menangle - One (1) Heat (Tab.com Inter Dominion Grand Final day)