News<\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/James-MacDonald-and-horse-WDC-2025-blog__ResizedImageWzYwMCwzNDdd.jpg\")
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By Dave Di Somma, Harness News Desk\u00a0<\/p>\n
Only a disaster can stop Canada’s James MacDonald from winning his second World Driving Championship title at Addington Raceway on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
In Sunday’s heats at Winton the Netherlands’ Jaap van Rijn was the individual star with three wins from the day’s four heats to climb from eighth to third overall, behind MacDonald and Australian Gary Hall junior.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Jaap-van-Rijn-flag-blog-image-Nov-2025-WDC__ResizedImageWzYwMCwzNDdd.jpg\")
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Van Rijn’s wins came with Shezza Vinnie in Heat 16, Jordan Anne in heat 18 and in the last heat of the day with Mouton Cadet. He has 140 points.<\/p>\n
New Zealand’s Blair Orange is fourth on 131 points. The best he can now finish is third.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The day’s other heat at Winton was taken out by Frenchman Pierre Vercruysse with Airwaves.<\/p>\n
MacDonald accrued crucial points throughout the day including two seconds with Sherwood Maggie and Xerion and has a 15 point buffer heading into the 20th and final heat at Addington on IRT New Zealand Trotting Cup day.<\/p>\n
He has 164 points, with Hall next on 149.<\/p>\n
For MacDonald not to claim the title Hall would have to win on Tuesday and MacDonald would have to finish last. MacDonald won his first and only WDC on home soil in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n
On Tuesday both are driving 31-to-one outsiders Alotoftrouble (MacDonald) and Peaknmonkey (Hall).<\/p>\n
The WDC leaderboard (after 19 of 20 heats) is :<\/p>\n
James MacDonald (Canada) 164
Gary Hall junior (Australia) 149
Jaap van Rijn (Netherlands) 140
Blair Orange (New Zealand) 131
Mats Djuse (Sweden) 125
Pierre Vercurysse (France) 117
Michael Nimczyk (Germany) 113
Brett Beckwith (USA) 103
Giampaolo Minnucci (Italy) 95
Santtu Raitala (Finland) 95<\/p>\n
The final heat will be Race 3 at Addington on Tuesday (12.54pm).<\/p>\n
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