Atlantic Regional Driving Championship starts Tuesday

SUMMERSIDE, PE – Eight of the region’s top reinsmen will converge on Red Shores at the Summerside Raceway Tuesday evening for the Atlantic Regional Driving Championship presented by Standardbred Canada.

The Prince County oval has an 11-race program starting at 6 P.M., with the Atlantic Regional Driving Championship races slated for races 3 through 10.

The eight-driver competition will feature Gilles Barrieau, Marc Campbell, Mike Downey, Paul Langille, Keith Legge, Corey MacPherson, Zach Mullins and Mark Pezzarello. The drivers will compete in eight championship races with fields of seven horses, as one driver will sit out each race while every driver gets one drive from each post position.

The top two drivers in the Atlantic Regional Driving Championship will advance to the 2026 National Driving Championship on Sunday, July 26 at Clinton Raceway in Clinton, Ont. They will join other finalists Tyler Borth, Jody Jamieson, Phil Giesbrecht, Kelly Hoerdt, Nick Boyd and Stephane Brosseau. The winner of the National Driving Championship earns the chance to represent Canada in the 2027 World Driving Championship in Canada.

A $6,250 Preferred 2 pace lines up as the feature in race 9 as part of the ARDC competition with newcomer Sure Thing Captain holding rail control for driver Zach Mullins, trainer Ralph Sweet and owners Brett MacDonald of Ontario and David and John Sweet of O’Leary. The Captaintreacherous pacer was second in his latest outing at Grand River Raceway in Elora, Ont. He sports 23 lifetime wins and a mark of 1:50.4 at the half-mile oval at Northfield Park in Ohio.

House Edge Hanover gets post 6 with Paul Langille in the bike for trainer Ronald Matheson. The five-year-old son of Betting Line has been knocking heads with Preferred company and was race-timed in 1:53.4 earlier this season.

Louie The Great has Gilles Barrieau in the race bike from post 2 for trainer Les Waite, while Michael Downey gets the call on Freemans Legacy from post 3 for trainer Jaycob Sweet.

Marc Campbell has the driving duties on Brigs from post 4 for the Nicholas Oakes barn, while Mark Pezzarello sits behind Doc Awesome from post 5 for trainer Darla MacEachern.

Sauble Attack draws post 7 for driver Corey MacPherson and new trainer Darla MacEachern.

The scoring system awards 14 points to the winner, followed by nine points for second, six points for third, four points for fourth, three points for fifth, two points for sixth and one point for seventh.

By Standardbred Canada rules, in the event of a horse being scratched five points will be awarded to the driver concerned. If a horse is disqualified or a horse and driver fail to complete the race, the driver will receive one point. In the event of a dead heat for any placing in any race, the points for the horses involved will be added together and divided equally among the drivers in the dead heat.

Play at the track or from home through HPIBET.COM. For the Race Day broadcast, race programs and more go to Redshores.ca.

by Nicholas Oakes, for Red Shores