Orange moves up the leaderboard at WDC

Blair Orange has climbed four places up the leaderboard at the world drivers’ harness racing championship in Europe.

Day two of the championships was held at Gelsenkirchen in Germany, with the five-time Kiwi champion driver winning one heat and finishing seventh, third, eighth and fifth in the others.

That gave him a total of 65 points at the halfway point of the competition, putting him fourth overall after being eighth after the opening day’s racing.

Defending champion Rick Ebbinger from the Netherlands is the driver to catch. He is now leading with 103 points after having three wins and two seconds from five races on the second day.

Drivers receive 17 points for winning a race. The points for the remaining nine finishing positions are, in descending order, 12, 9, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1.

The World Driving Championship third round will be held Wednesday at Hippodrome de Wallonie in Mons, Belgium. The final round is Friday at Trabrennbahn Mariendorf in Berlin.

Orange is vying to be the seventh New Zealander to win the world title, following on from Dexter Dunn (2015), Mark Jones (2003), Maurice McKendry (1991), Tony Herlihy (1985), Robert Cameron (1983), and Kevin Holmes (1978).

Points – Rick Ebbinge 103, Hanna Huygens 69, Peter McMullen 68, Blair Orange 65, Santtu Raitala 65, Doug McNair 63, Jordan Ross 59, Miodrag Pantic 53, Michael Nimczyk 49, Rodney Gatt 48

by Dave Di Somma, for Harness News Desk