Western Fair Raceway has announced that Sarah Imrie will be joining its simulcast crew during the Ontario Regional Driving Championship, which will take place Wednesday, March 30
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Imrie will be conducting paddock interviews during the ORDC. She has been busy compiling 'Q&A' interviews with some of the ORDC drivers. The interviews will be coming out leading up to the event.
The first of Imrie's interviews, with former World Driving Championship winner, Jamieson, appears below.
The ORDC had to be rescheduled following the cancellation of racing at Western Fair Raceway on Friday, March 11 due to a snowstorm. Eight of the province’s top drivers will compete in the ORDC to see who will represent Ontario in the upcoming National Driving Championship. The winner of the NDC will represent Canada in the World Driving Championship, which will take place in the United States later this year.
You can vote for the driver you think will win the ORDC on Western Fair Raceway’s Facebook page.
Check out Standardbred Canada’s Facebook page for the National Driving Championship to see photos and updates from all events to date.
Jody Jamieson, 34
Hometown: Hagersville, Ont.
Jamieson has been in the harness racing industry for the last 17 years. He grew up dreaming of being a driver as he watched his father and grandfather before him. The driving gene is in his blood! On behalf of Western Fair Raceway, Sarah Imrie had a chance to ask the former World Driving Championship winner some questions to get a little insight into harness racing's answer to the 'Energizer Bunny.'
Q: What would it mean to you to win the Ontario Championship?
A) I've always wanted to be the best driver in the world, so if I win the Ontario I will have a chance to become that again.
Q: What size track do you prefer to drive and why?
A) I love a mile track...the Red Mile is probably everybody's fave, but the Meadowlands is a great mile as well.
Q: What has been your greatest moment in your career thus far?
A) I have been so blessed to have gotten to drive so many great horses...but none of them have made me feel better then when my dad won the Gold Cup and Saucer...And if I ever win that race I will consider my career complete!
Q: Who did you idolize growing up?
A) John Campbell, Wayne Gretzky, Carl Jamieson.
Q: If you could drive any horse in history who would it be?
A) Somebeachsomewhere, the greatest standardbred to look through a bridle.
Q: Where do you see yourself in the sport 10 years from now?
A) I hope I'm still able to compete at a high level against the best catch drivers in the world.
Q: Which do you prefer, trotters or pacers?
A) Pacers for sure -- they can go so fast now that they are my fave. A good trotter is amazing as well.
Q: How would you describe your driving style? A) Laid back B) Front ender C) Rail hugger D) Aggressive throughout E) Dead closer?
A) All of the above, but some might call me aggressive! I don't mind what they think of me as long as they are naming me to drive.
Q: If you could meet any famous person in history who would it be?
A) I've been lucky enough to have met some of my modern-day heroes like Mats Sundin and Doug Gilmour and Mike Bossy, George Chuvalo, Brian Burke, but I guess the one person I'd love to meet would be Garth Brooks. He's so talented, and I saw him in concert once, and he was amazing for two hours straight without a break. Unreal!
Q: For the lady racing fans out there.....Married? Single? In a relationship?
A) Married.
Q: What is the strangest thing you've ever eaten?
A) I like to try to eat what the locals eat wherever in the world I am. So, when I was in Finland for the WDC 2001, I tried what I thought was a cream cheese pastry, but when I bit into it, I soon found that it wasn't a pastry, it was thinly sliced and rolled Reindeer! Yuck!
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you most like to visit?
A) Italy, in particular, The Isle of Capri. Spent a day there in 2005, but you need a couple of days to really appreciate it!