Excitement is building for the National Driving Championship (NDC), which is set to take place on Friday, July 5, at Hippodrome 3R. Eight of the nine drivers vying for a chance to represent Canada at the 2025 World Driving Championship earned their spots by finishing in the top two in their respective regional competitions.
Now, just one more step remains.
At the Quebec / Eastern Ontario Regional Driving Championship (QEORDC) on June 2 at Hippodrome 3R, drivers Stephane Brosseau and Robert Shepherd clinched the final two berths in the NDC.
By virtue of some drama that ensued in the final leg, which led to a significant placing, both drivers secured their spots on the leaderboard. Brosseau finished with 67 points, edging out Shepherd for top honours, who placed behind him with 65 points.
Quebec/Eastern Ontario Regional Driving Championship winner Stephane Brosseau and runner-up Robert Shepherd, with Standardbred Canada directors Guillaume Cayer-Richard and Richard Veilleux, and 3R announcer Guy Lafontaine.
For Shepherd, this will be the first time he’ll be competing in the Nationals. He’s just hoping for a little luck, and a little bit of horsepower.
“I felt good about my efforts [in the QEORDC], but I’ll be the first to tell you I got a little lucky,” shared Shepherd in his typical modest fashion. “I’m just excited for the opportunity to compete. I could use a little bit of luck and a few good horses and I’ll be in with a chance.”
Having competed against the majority of the participants throughout his racing career, Shepherd knows he cannot take his competition lightly.
“Everybody competing has a chance,” stated Shepherd. “All those guys will be tough… ultimately, it’s going to come down to trips and whoever gets the right horses."
Shepherd also doesn’t take the opportunity to represent Canada lightly, admitting he'd love to ditch his blue, yellow and white silks for the red and white Canadian colours in New Zealand.
“Oh, it would be an absolute honour [to represent Canada],” said Shepherd. “That would be something I’d be very proud of. Anytime you have the opportunity to represent your country, it’s a big deal.”
Brosseau is no stranger to competing in the Nationals, finishing second to Doug McNair in 2018 when it was held at Grand River Raceway. The Quebec reinsman is eager for another crack at winning it.
“I’m just really happy that I qualified,” noted Brosseau. “My experience in 2018 was a great one, but I’m hoping to win it this time.”
While winning remains priority number one, Brosseau acknowledged that it’s important not to get lost in the heat of the moment.
“It’s important to just have fun out there,” expressed Brosseau. “We all want to win and everyone is competitive, but it’s all about having a good time at the end of the day.”
When sizing up the field of competitors, Brosseau noted that some driver have a much stronger body of work this season than others, but stated he's of the opinion that doesn't matter in a competition like the NDC.
“James [MacDonald] has been hot all year long,” said Brosseau. “It’s just like the Super Bowl… it doesn’t matter who the most talented driver is, it matters who gets the job done on that day. With some racing luck, anyone can come out a winner.”
New Zealand is a location high on Brosseau's travel bucket list. Heading downunder while representing Canada would make a trip there even more memorable.
“It’s a place I’ve dreamt about visiting,” admitted Brosseau. “To be able to visit there while wearing the Canadian colours would be the cherry on top.”
Over the years, Brosseau has kept his eyes on past Driving Championships. He knows what it was like watching his peers compete on an international stage and he’s hoping for the same.
“We all know the story of Herve Filion and the success he’s had. I remember watching Sylvain [Filion] win in Australia, too… it was special.
“Winning would be a dream come true for me. I’m certain any driver would say the same as well.”
Joining Brosseau and Shepherd in the Nationals are Redmond Doucet (Atlantic), David Dowling (Atlantic), Phil Giesbrecht (Western), Mike Hennessy (Western), Tyler Borth (Ontario), James MacDonald (Ontario) and Doug McNair (World Driving Championship representative).
Fans can look forward to hearing from Brosseau and Shepherd live on Thursday, July 4, at 8:30 p.m., during the NDC Driver Showcase in Trois-Rivières, Que. Further details on the live stream will be announced in the coming days.
(Standardbred Canada)