Orange gets home advantage in WDC 2025

New Zealand’s harness racing representative Blair Orange reckons home country advantage will be key to his chances of winning this November’s World Driving Championship (WDC).

The 10 drivers who will compete in the WDC were announced at a function at Addington Raceway on Saturday night.

It was no surprise to anyone that Orange got the nod to wear the silver fern. He has after all won the last seven driving premierships and is well on his way to taking out an eighth in 2025.

“To represent your country at anything is a big achievement and hopefully I can do the fern pride,” says Orange, “it’s a bit more pressure with the home town thing but there’ll be a lot of support.”

This will be his second WDC after competing in Europe (Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands) in 2023.

This one, he is sure, will be feel different with three key factors in his favour, namely language, form and familiarity.

“It was harder with the language barrier (in Europe). And not knowing the form so much made it hard too. Knowing that here will hopefully make it easier and hopefully everything will work out.”

The WDC will be held at four venues – Kaikoura, Winton, Cambridge and Addington – and that Orange says that gives him another advantage over his rivals.

“I know them like the back of my hand so hopefully we can use that too.”

“Host” drivers have a strong record in the WDC.

Since the first championships in 1970 there have been 13 instances of home country drivers winning the title, including James MacDonald in Canada in 217 and Pierre Vercruysee in France in 2013.

Both former world champions have been confirmed in this year’s line up.

To see the official WDC media release and the 10 drivers click here

by Dave Di Somma, for Harness News Desk