The Harness Racing Waikato meeting on Thursday night will see the start of the Lone Star Riccarton 2015 Australasian Young Drivers Championship.
Ten of the best young drivers from across Australasia will be competing to take out the 2015 title. They will be racing in a series of seven heats this week at the following venues:
Harness Racing Waikato (Cambridge Raceway) Thursday 7th May 2015
Auckland Trotting Club (Alexandra Park) Friday 8th May 2015
NZ Metropolitan (Addington Raceway) Saturday 9th May 2015
Timaru Harness Racing Club (Phar Lap Raceway) Sunday 10th May 2015
This is an event that is targeted by every young driver, and to win such an event is of the highest achievement in our sport. The ten drivers are made up of the following six Australian drivers and four New Zealand drivers:
– Andre Poutama (Defending Champion)
– Ben Butcher (New Zealand North Island Representative)
– Dylan Ford (Tasmania)
– Jake Webster (South Australia)
– Josh Aiken (Victoria)
– Michelle Neilson (New Zealand Representative – winner of the 2014 New Zealand Junior Drivers Championship)
– Robbie Close (New Zealand South Island Representative)
– Robbie Morris (New South Wales)
– Tom Buchanan (Western Australia)
– Trent Moffat (Queensland)
Fields are currently in the process of being drawn for the heats and drivers will be drawn shortly afterwards. Points for each heat will be allocated on the following basis:
Number of starters 10: 17(1), 12(2), 9(3), 7(4), 6(5), 5(6), 4(7), 3(8), 2(9), 1(10).
Number of starters 9: 16(1), 11(2), 8(3), 6(4), 5(5), 4(6), 3(7), 2(8), 1(9).
Number of starters 8: 15(1), 10(2), 7(3), 5(4), 4(5), 3(6), 2(7), 1(8).
Stacey Markham
stacey@hrnz.co.nz