Barrieau wins Atlantic Regional Driving Championship

The harness racing driver nicknamed ‘The Maritime Magic Man’ and the horseman dubbed ‘The King of Island Racing’ would not be denied chances to represent their country in the 2023 World Driving Championship in Italy.

Gilles Barrieau and Marc Campbell emerged victorious from the 2022 Atlantic Regional Driving Championship (ARDC) held on Saturday (July 30) at Red Shores Racetrack & Casino at the Charlottetown Driving Park in Charlottetown, P.E.I.

By virtue of his three wins and five top-three finishes, Barrieau (A/K/A ‘The Maritime Magic Man’) amassed a total of 64 points to win the ARDC and advance to the 2022 National Driving Championship (NDC) at Century Mile in Edmonton, Alta. this coming November.

The Saint John, N.B. native and current Stratford, P.E.I. resident, Barrieau is no stranger to National Driving Championship success. He won the 2007 NDC, finished third in the 2008 edition and was the NDC runner-up in 2011 to eventual World Driving Champion Jody Jamieson. Barrieau won the most recent edition of the ARDC in 2018 at Truro Raceway.

“Everything worked out good,” said Barrieau after the competition. “I thought I had a pretty good shot starting off; some of them didn’t show up and a couple of them that I didn’t think would show up showed up. It was good racing overall.”

Joining Barrieau in representing Atlantic Canada in the 2022 National Driving Championship is ‘The King of Island Racing’, Marc Campbell, who tallied 63 points through the eight-leg contest to finish second in a very heated competition. Corey MacPherson finished third in the Atlantic Regional, just one point shy of Campbell and two points behind Barrieau with 62 points.

The official leaderboard at the conclusion of the Atlantic Regional Driving Championship is as follows:

1. Gilles Barrieau (PEI) – 64 points
2. Marc Campbell (PEI) – 63 points
3. Corey MacPherson (PEI) – 62 points
4. Paul Langille (NS) – 56 points
5. Todd Trites (NB) – 45 points
6. Mark Pezzarello (NS) – 42 points
7. Jason Hughes (PEI) – 31 points
8. Redmond Doucet (NS) – 24 points

Barrieau and Campbell complete the field of drivers that will compete in the 2022 National Driving Championship at Century Mile on November 24. The full field of drivers and region of representation is as follows:

• Gilles Barrieau (Atlantic Canada)
• Pascal Berube (Quebec / Eastern Ontario)
• Marc Campbell (Atlantic Canada)
• Samuel Fillion (Quebec / Eastern Ontario)
• Phil Giesbrecht (Western Canada)
• Mike Hennessy (Western Canada)
• Doug McNair (Ontario),
• Louis-Philippe Roy (Ontario)

For full race results, click here.

by Darryl Kaplan, for Standardbred Canada