05 April 2023 | RQ Media
Queensland is poised to be represented on harness racing’s international stage this August.
Earlier today, Harness Racing Australia announced that the Sunshine State’s premier driver, Pete McMullen, will don the green and gold silks as Australia’s representative for the up-coming World Driving Championship.
The bi-annual event will be held in three countries – the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium – from August 13-18, with 10 drivers from 10 countries competing across 20 races.
Pete McMullen has dominated the local driving ranks in recent years, having claimed a hat-trick of Queensland Drivers Premierships, on top of back-to-back JD Watts Awards, bestowed upon the nation’s premier driver.
Following a record-breaking 2021 year, McMullen also became the first ever driver in Queensland harness racing history to notch up 300 wins in a single season.
In doing so, he became only the fourth driver in Australian history to surpass the triple century.
“It’s an absolute honour to be selected to represent Australia in the upcoming World Driving Championship,” McMullen said.
“I’d like to thank HRA and member states for this amazing opportunity and cannot wait to get there to do Australia proud.
“Given the calibre of drivers across Australia, it is incredibly humbling to be asked to compete in the series.”
First held in 1970, the World Driving Championship have not taken place since 2019 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, where Queensland-born Todd McCarthy represented Australia.
Two years prior in 2017, another Queenslander in Shane Graham was selected as the nation’s representative, competing in Canada.
McMullen will be looking to engrave Australia’s name on the trophy for the first time in 36 years, when Ted Demmler took out the series in 1987 on home soil.
“Since bursting onto the national scene as the inaugural winner of the Australian Drivers Championship in 2014, Pete has been a model of consistency, leading the nation with back-to-back JD Watts Awards in 2021 and 2022,” Harness Racing Australia Chair Graeme Campbell OAM said.
“Pete is also a terrific driver of trotters, piloting wins aboard all of the nominees in Racing Queensland’s Trotter of the Year category last season.
“The HRA Executive were unanimous in their decision to have Pete represent Australia at the prestigious event and have no doubt he will compete with great distinction and determination.
“I’m sure the industry will rally behind Pete and wish him all the best.”
Click here for more information on the World Driving Championship.
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