by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — It was no easy task but Monticello Raceway has put together a field of drivers whose names are Presidential and that race, dubbed the “Not-Quite” Presidential Pace, will presented on Presidents Day, Monday February 17.

“We’ve searched hard to find drivers with presidential surnames and had to reach way down but we did fairly well, “noted Eric Warner, the track’s director of racing

“We could come up with six drivers with presidential surnames who consented to participate but in order to get an eight horse field together we used Truman Gale, whose first name is certainly presidential, and then reached out for Peter Gerry, who said he’d be glad to drive in the race, if he was needed.”

Although Gerry is not a presidential name, it is however, a vice presidential name. Elbridge Thomas Gerry, Peter’s grandfather five or six generations removed, was selected as Vice-President under James Madison . He was also one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

Joining Truman Gale and Peter Gerry in the Presidents Day race will be Scott Taylor, Don Hoover, Cedric Washington, George Polk, Jr., Howard Taylor, and Dennis Washington.

Also asked to be in the race were Tom Jackson and Allan Johnson but both had a conflict on February 17.

The “Not-Quite Presidential” Pace is slated as race number nine on the Monday (Feb. 17) 10-race card. First post will be at 12:25 PM

It should be noted that driving assignments as well as post positions were drawn by lot.