Mississauga, ON — At the recent Standardbred Canada Board of Directors meeting, the O’Brien Awards Committee proposed a recommendation to the Board of Directors that the O’Brien “Driver of the Year” award be renamed the “Keith Waples Driver of the Year” in honor of Mr. Keith Waples, a Canadian driving legend, who recently passed away.

Keith Waples. Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame photo.

The O’Brien Awards Committee recommended to the Board that Mr. Waples was a leading role model and influencer to so many drivers, old and young, and that this rare recognition be bestowed upon the great legacy that Mr. Waples has left.

Bill McLinchey, Chair of the Board, released the following statement: “This is not something that happens every year and it is a rarity that a sport comes across an individual that has done so much for the industry and the people involved in it. Keith was one of a kind and admired and loved by so many that the Board felt it was the least that it could do to recognize the extraordinary efforts and achievements of Mr. Waples. The decision was passed, as one would expect, unanimously by the Board at the July meeting.”

Further details of the Keith Waples Driver of the Year award will be announced by Standardbred Canada soon.