Champion reinsman Gary Hall Jr has been bestowed the rich honour of representing Australia in the World Driving Championship held by New Zealand from November 2 to 11.

In the opening three and a half months of the season, Hall Jr has already booted home 71 winners and is shooting at a staggering 28 percent strike rate.

He is on track to match his record-breaking 2023 tally of 271 winners and thrives under the challenge of new competition.

“I feel pretty good about it. You can’t win something to get the chance to drive in these series, so I can’t say it’s been a goal,” he said.

“But it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity and once I turned out to be alright, it’s something I always wanted to do.

“I’ve been to about five Australian championships and I think I’ve finished third twice, second once and two wins.

“I always thought if I got to go, it would be nice to go to Canada or Germany. But now that I think about it, New Zealand is probably the best.

“I’m comfortable driving there and it’s closer to our style than anywhere else.

With well in excess of 4000 wins to his name, the 42-year-old has already notched up 69 Group 1 wins.

It will be the first time New Zealand has hosted the World Driving Championship solo with Kaikoura, Cambridge, Winton and Addington chosen to host the events and the final meeting to coincide with the New Zealand Cup.

Australia has typically struggled to win the championship, with only Ted Demmler and Keith Addison taking the spoils from 32 representatives since 1970.

The last series shared between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands was taken by Holland rep Rick Ebbinge, with Australia’s Pete McMullen finishing sixth.

The only other WA drivers to contest the series have been Jim Schrader (seventh 1973, fifth 1979), Fred Kersley (second in 1991) and Chris Lewis (10th in 2011).

From as early as a 2003 trip as a junior driver to the Shaky Isles, Hall Jr has driven in 41 Kiwi races for seven wins but has not driven in New Zealand since a 2018 trip left him with mixed emotions.

After winning the lone standing start of his 113-start career and appearing destined for New Zealand Cup greatness, Chicago Bull flipped over the morning following that effort and sustained freakish fractures to his wither.

Five of those NZ wins were provided by cult hero pacer Im Themightyquinn, with the remaining triumph aboard Aha Reaction in 2018.

Hall Jr said his family, including legendary trainer and father Hall Sr, would make the journey in support.

He will drive early second fancy Penny Black in Friday’s Group 2 Empress Stakes at Gloucester Park.

+ Greg and Skye Bond have loaded the bases for the Nullarbor, with Gee Heza Sport taken by Tony Licastro’s Kingstead Lodge and Justcallmemiki filling their own slot.

Waverider has also been named to represent owner Kevin and Kyle Jeavons’ slot in the April 26 clash at Gloucester Park.