During the week of Aug. 13-18, Doug McNair represented Canada for the second time at the 2023 World Driving Championship (WDC) in Europe. He competed against top drivers from nine different countries across four legs, each leg consisting of five races, for a total of 20 races. Here’s a recap of each leg and its races.
McNair flew out of Toronto Pearson Airport on a seven-hour red-eye flight on Friday night, arriving in Amsterdam on Saturday morning. He spent his first day in Amsterdam, preparing for the upcoming week of races.
Leg 1: Victoria Park Wolvega in The Netherlands - Sunday, Aug. 13
The first leg of the 2023 WDC began at Wolvega Park Racetrack with a post time of 5:10 p.m. The drivers brought their best strategies to the races and were determined to represent their countries. McNair utilized many strategies during the first five races, winning the third and fifth races, and placing in seventh, third and sixth in the remaining three.
McNair started off the WDC strongly, as he shared first place with Australia’s Peter McMullen with 49 points each at the end of the first leg. The leaderboard included Finland’s Santtu Raitala in second place and Jordan Ross from the United States in third.
Leg 2: GelsenTrabPark in Gelsenkirchen, Germany - Tuesday, Aug. 15
The second day of the WDC continued in Gelsenkirchen at GelsenTrabPark. The drivers were ready to compete again after they spent the previous day travelling from Amsterdam and refined their strategies. Although McNair raced in Sweden during the 2019 World Driving Championship, adjustments were still necessary.
The five races started before noon, with a post time of 11:50 a.m. The competition was still fierce during this leg, with 2019 WDC champion Rick Ebbinge making his home country proud by winning three races and securing second for two. Hanna Huygens of Belgium and Australia’s Peter McMullen closely followed Ebbinge on the leaderboard, placing second and third.
McNair finished with sixth and fifth positions and placed sixth with 63 points at the end of the second leg.
McNair expressed happiness for Ebbinge’s success, stating, “It’s nice to see him do well, he’s a real good guy and he’s fun to cheer for.”
After the races, the drivers travelled to Mons, Belgium in the afternoon to prepare for the next five races the following day.
Leg 3: Hippodrome de Wallonie in Belgium - Wednesday, Aug. 16
The past two legs proved that horse racing combines both luck and skill. The third leg kicked off at the Hippodrome de Wallonie in Belgium at 6:30 p.m.
Rick Ebbinge maintained his lead against the other nine drivers and proved to be a strong competitor as he won his fourth WDC race. Peter McMullen of Australia and Belgium's Hanna Huygens swapped their places on the leaderboard, finishing second and third, as they each secured a victory this leg.
After the third leg, McNair finished with 93 points in sixth place, as he achieved 10th, fourth, second and fifth positions. McNair maintained a positive outlook and strategy for the final leg, as he said, “I’m only 13 points shy of second place, that’s what we’re aiming for on Friday.”
Leg 4: Trabrennbahn Mariendorf in Berlin, Germany - Friday, August 18
The final five races of the 2023 WDC were one to watch, echoing the words of F1 champion Nik Lauda: “A race isn’t won until it’s over.”
Doug McNair’s father Gregg McNair came to surprise him during the second last leg, and travelled with him to the final leg. On Thursday, Aug. 17, the drivers spent the day viewing the country from a bus and a plane, as they travelled from Brussels and Berlin to prepare for their last leg in Berlin, Germany.
The last leg of the 2023 WDC was held in Berlin at Trabrennbahn Mariendorf, with a post time of 5 p.m.
McNair made Canada proud and proved he is one of Canada’s best drivers, as he raced strongly during the last five races. McNair set the tone of the day by winning the first race with Loverboy v Assum. He then won the third race of the day and placed second, third and eighth in the remaining races.
During the final leg, McNair gained a remarkable 57 points, finishing in second place with a total of 150 points. Rick Ebbinge placed first with 163 points and Hanna Huygens finished in third place with 150 points.
One week following the championship, McNair expressed his gratitude for the experience, saying, “It was an honour to drive for my nation. I am grateful to have met the 2023 WDC’s competitors and supporters alike. Thank you, Canada.”
