by John Manzi, for NAADA

Budapest, Hungary — Drawing the rail in the sixth and final race in the World Cup didn’t hurt Italy’s Mirko Marini who managed a second-over trip and then blew away the field to score his second victory in the international amateur driving competition. And with that victory Marini finished with 61 points, just one point better than the USA’s Hannah Miller’s (60).

Miller and Marini finish 1-2 in the points standings in the World Cup of Amateur Driving.

According to NAADA founder and President Joe Faraldo, who traveled with Miller and her family to Budapest for the World Cup competition and served as a correspondent, as he witnessed the racing action first-hand while supplying photographs, this was Miller’s response at the conclusion of the event:

“It was a great competition and wonderful experience for me in the World Cup of Amateur Racing and I’d like to congratulate Mirko Marini. He is a great driver and a tough competitor,” ‘Hurricane Hannah’ said. “Although the final standings are obviously disappointing for me to come so close to the first U.S. victory in the World Cup, all in all, having had the chance to bring home a couple of American victories is a great honor for me and my family.”

Faraldo’s own response is as follows:

“Sure it’s obviously disappointing for Hannah to come so close and to lose by just one point, but she drove as good as anyone could have hoped” he said via telephone. “Hannah drove great and we are extremely proud of the showing our champ made in the World Championship. Hats off to the Italian champ from Montegiorgio. America was very well represented and we could not have chosen a better representative than Hannah. She will be heard from for quite a while to come in this sport. This was by far the best results that the USA has had since NAADA joined FEGAT, the international organization that governs the World Cup of Amateur Racing, in the 1980’s.”

The following is Faraldo’s report on an earlier World Cup race on the card at Kincsem Park in Budapest, Hungary, when Miller drove her second winner in the competition in a 1,900 meter trot:

Joe Faraldo photos

Miller’s second trip to the winner’s circle in Budapest, Hungary.

“In that contest Hannah handled Sved Barat, an UpFront Larry out of an Armbro Trick mare. Not one of the picks but drawing the two hole, Hannah left from post two and quickly grabbed the lead. She yielded going around the first turn, sat the two-hole then thought about how a guy stopped in her face the race before. She then pulled the pocket and sat chilly on the outside just buggy riding with the leader. Sensing the Italian nearby, Hannah drew off at the top of the lane and put distance between her and the Argentinian followed by her nemesis, the Italian.”

Miller was one of four ladies who competed in this year’s 12-country World Cup of Amateur Racing. Ms. Bitten Jensen from Denmark finished third in points, making two of the top three finishers in the overall point standings lady drivers.

Here are the final standings in the 2016 World Cup of Amateur Racing— Italy (61), USA (60), Denmark (45), Argentina (38), Finland (37), Belgium (33), New Zealand (32), Czech Republic (30), Hungary (29), Spain (29), Switzerland (24) and Austria (2).