by Standardbred Canada

Mississauga, ON — Brandon Campbell secured the Western Regional Driving Championship title over Jim Marino with his third victory in the final leg of the eight-race competition on Sunday (June 26) at Century Downs Racetrack and Casino. Both Campbell and Marino will advance to the National Driving Championship.

Campbell ranked within the top three drivers throughout the entire competition and drove three winners to propel him to first place in the standings. He accumulated 69 points while Marino finished second with 61 points.

Kyle Meller/Coady Photo

Brandon Campbell(holding his daughter Presley) is congratulated by Century Downs’ Paul Ryneveld and Jackson Wittup after winning the 2016 Western Regional DrivingChampionship at Century DownsRacetrack and Casino.

Campbell initially took the lead in the point standings in the second leg with his first win aboard Full Moon Dodger ($13.80). He later retook the lead in the fifth leg after two consecutive third-place finishes and maintained his position with another victory aboard Dickies Motel (C$12.40) in the sixth leg.

Marino, who climbed to second place with top three finishes in half of the event races, won the seventh leg with Wild Chic (C$14) to take a four point lead ahead of Campbell (58-54), whose mount Hotel Motel did not finish after falling in the final turn. Both horse and driver were not seriously injured and Campbell rebounded in the last leg as he prevailed in a photo finish in rein to Heart N Hustle (C$10.90) to secure the Western Regional Driving Championship title.

Campbell and Marino will now join the top two point-earners from the three other regional competitions at the National Driving Championship on October 14 at The Raceway at Western Fair District in London, ON. The winner of the National Driving Championship will represent Canada in the 2017 World Driving Championship, which will be hosted in Canada.

Campbell will be making his third appearance at the National Driving Championship after winning the 2014 Western Regional over Marino and advancing off a second-place finish in 2011.

“I was very confident going into it and I thought I would get it again and it feels great,” said the 32-year-old Calgary-based horseman of his expectations this time around. “This is my third time at it now. Last time I was third and I’m shooting for the win this time. I want to go represent Canada. James MacDonald and Trevor Henry from Ontario, they’re good, good drivers, so I got competition, but I’m going in it to win it.”

Ontario Regional Driving Championship winner James MacDonald and runner-up Trevor Henry have advanced from Friday’s (June 24) competition, which was held at Grand River Raceway, along with Jason Hughes and Corey MacPherson, who finished first and second in Saturday’s (June 25) Atlantic Regional held at Red Shores Racetrack and Casino at Charlottetown Driving Park. The final Quebec/Eastern Ontario Regional will be hosted by Hippodrome 3R on Tuesday (July 12).

OFFICIAL POINT TOTALS

1. Brandon Campbell – 69
2. Jim Marino – 61
3. Don Howlett – 51
4. Paul Davies – 48
5. Dave Kelly – 48
6. Mike Hennessy – 34
7. Gerry Hudon – 34
8. Travis Cullen – 31