Fraser Downs will host the Western Regional Drivers Championship on Saturday with eight competitors representing four provinces for the right to advance to the National Final on Saturday, May 7 at Charlottetown's Red Shores Racetrack & Casino
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While Alberta 's Brandon Campbell and B.C.'s Mike Hennessy have been labeled the "young guns" in this driving showdown, the top two finishers who advance to the Nationals will be rookies despite their age.
So whether a driver is 47 (Dave Hudon) or 27 (Brandon Campbell), anticipating that next step is exciting stuff.
"It would be nice to put that feather in your cap," says Hudon, "especially when you're not getting any younger."
"A major privilege," says Hennessy, who's 28 and the third and last B.C. driver to qualify, behind Jim Marino and Dave Hudon. "Even having the chance is awesome for me. " says Marino, who's second in Fraser Downs’ driver standings to American Ed Hensley and leads drivers into the Western Regional: "A very big deal."
Besides the three B.C. entries and Campbell, who's currently seventh among Fraser Downs drivers, Alberta veterans Keith Clark and Gerry Hudon (Dave's brother) will be joined by Glenn Le Drew of Saskatchewan and Manitoba 's Dallas McGee to complete the field.
All eight will race from a different post position in each of the eight races, in sulkies connected to horses that are not connected to them (nobody can race his own horse). The winning driver gets 15 points per race, the runner-up 10 and the others 7-5-4-3-2-1. At the end of the day, the points are totaled and the top two drivers are off to Charlottetown 's Red Shores Racetrack & Casino on Saturday, May 7.
Each driver in the Western Regional at Fraser Downs Saturday will donate a percentage of his winnings to the Surrey Association for Community Living in the Cloverdale/Surrey area. Fraser Downs Racetrack and casino is proud to announce that it will match all drivers' donations.
Post time Saturday goes off at 1:15 with the championship races starting in race 2 and running through race 9.
To view entries for Saturday's card of harness racing, please click the following link: Saturday Entries – Fraser Downs.