from the PHHA/Pocono

Wilkes-Barre, PA — George Napolitano Jr., the leading driver at both The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono and Harrah’s Philadelphia, who celebrated his 7,000th career victory earlier this month, achieved the driving “century mark” for July, posting victory No. 100 in the final day of the month Friday night at Pocono with the trotter Ras Shaknthtbacon.

Napolitano had 95 victories going into today’s racing, 38 at Philly and 57 at Pocono. George, the 2010 North American dashwinning leader with 753 wins, visited Victory Lane twice in the afternoon at Philly, then recorded his third sulky-sitting victory of the mountain oval’s evening with Ras Shakinthatbacon — trained by Gilbert Garcia-Herrera, the leading trainer at Philly and third at Pocono, for whom “GNap” has been principal driver most of the spring and summer.

Napolitano has moved into fourth in this year’s North American standings, with 404 victories. If he maintains his current large lead atop the Pocono dashwinning driver standings, it will be his ninth northeast Pennsylvania title — breaking his current tie with Bill Lambertus as eight-time Pocono champions.