2022 National Driving Championship

Standardbred Canada is pleased to announce the host tracks and dates for the 2022 Regional Driving Championships and National Driving Championship which will determine Canada's representative to the 2023 World Driving Championship for harness racing.

The 2022 National Driving Championship will take place at Century Mile in Edmonton, Alta., on Thursday, November 24.

This marks the first time that the National Driving Championship has been hosted in Alberta. Drivers must earn their way into the National Driving Championship by finishing first or second in their respective Regional Driving Championship.

Here are the locations and dates for the four regional events (in chronological order):

REGIONAL DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIPS (RDC)

• Wednesday, May 11 - Ontario Regional Driving Championship - The Raceway at Western Fair District; London, Ont.
• Saturday, June 4 - Western Regional Driving Championship - Century Downs; Calgary, Alta.
• Sunday, June 26 - Quebec / Eastern Ontario Regional Driving Championship, Hippodrome 3R; Three Rivers, Que.
• Saturday, July 30 - Atlantic Regional Driving Championship, Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park; Charlottetown, PEI

NATIONAL DRIVING CHAMPIONSHIP (NDC)

•  Thursday, November 24 - Century Mile; Edmonton, Alta.

Competing NDC Drivers

Gilles Barrieau (Atlantic)

Pascal Berube (Quebec)

Marc Campbell (Atlantic)

Samuel Fillion (Quebec)

Mike Hennessy (Western)

Dave Kelly (Western)

Doug McNair (Ontario)

Louis-Philippe Roy (Ontario)

Past Winners

Past winners of the NDC title include Doug McNair (2018), Brandon Campbell (2016), Jody Jamieson (2014 & 2011), Brad Forward (2009), and Gilles Barrieau (2007).

The winner of the 2022 National Driving Championship will have the opportunity to represent Canada in the 2023 World Driving Championship.

Doug McNair competed in the 2019 WDC in Sweden along with defending WDC Champion and fellow Canadian, James MacDonald. MacDonald won the 2017 WDC hosted in Canada and represented the International Trotting Association.

World Driving Championship – Canada’s Champions

Canadian drivers have won the World Driving Championship on five occasions -- Herve Filion (1970), Sylvain Filion (1999), Jody Jamieson (2001, 2011), and James MacDonald (2017). MacDonald was the first Canadian driver to win on home soil.

General Information

Since 2007, Standardbred Canada has been using a new format to determine Canada's representative for the World Driving Championship.

The concept behind the National Driving Championship is to bring regional representatives together to compete in a one-day championship that will determine Canada's representative to the World Driving Championship.

Traditionally determined by a formula that included earnings, wins and UDRS rating, the Canadian rep will now have to beat out some of the country's finest drivers and earn the National Driving Championship title.

This format includes one-day regional championships where the top two drivers advance to the national championship. 

This format includes one-day regional championships where the top two drivers advance to the national championship.