Dresden Raceway is shining a light on female drivers in the sport as part of a brand new fundraising initiative.
The raceway has teamed up with Hanover Raceway to host the OLG Ontario Women's Driving Championship. The partnership is something new for 2021 and will see top female drivers from Ontario compete over two days.
According to Dresden Raceway Track Announcer and Public Relations Director Gary Patterson, racetracks across the province try and work together as much as possible.
Patterson said he was approached by the general manager of Hanover Raceway about the idea and it took off from there.
"We worked together, we received funding from OLG and we received funding from Ontario Racing to help put this initiative together," he explained.
Eight Ontario female drivers will be participating in the event along with two special guest drivers from other jurisdictions if COVID-19 travel restrictions allow.
Drivers will donate their earnings to the Canadian Cancer Society at Hanover Raceway and to Harness For Hope at Dresden Raceway. There will also be fundraising initiatives taking place at each track for their respective charities.
Patterson called it a "win-win" for everyone involved.
"We have so many women in our sport and they work so hard," he said. "They do it for passion and love and it's kinds of nice to recognize them...What we're trying to do is maybe cultivate a little bit of a culture that a lot of the younger girls and women who are in the sport start thinking 'if they can do it, I can do it.'"
The first day of the event will take place at Hanover Raceway on Saturday, July 17, followed by races at Dresden Raceway on Sunday, July 18. Each track will hold five races for the competition, with drivers earning points depending on how they place.
Patterson said the goal is to eventually bring the initiative to racetracks across the province.
"Maybe next summer we might chip away and get two or more [tracks.] But eventually, it would be nice to have all the race tracks in Ontario involved in this initiative just so we can showcase the talent we have in Ontario," he said. "We are so blessed, we have so many wonderful horse people and they work so hard."
Patterson said at this point, it's unclear what COVID-19 restrictions will be like when the Women's Driving Championship is held and if people will be able to watch in person. However, he said the competition will be available to watch on the Dresden Raceway YouTube and Facebook page as well as on HPIbet, an online wagering service.
The Dresden Raceway season would typically start at the end of May. Patterson said the plans for the opening weekend are still up in the air but he's optimistic it will be another great season.
"We had all the COVID-19 protocols in place last year," he said. "So we're hoping what we can do is at least start on June 6th, the Sunday, and get things rolling for the first week of the race season."
