by John Manzi, for the Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers Association

Monticello, NY — The C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Championship Series is perpetually in motion during seven months every year. This weekend — July 16 and 17 — the Eastern Region members will convene at Yonkers Raceway on Saturday night (July 16) for two non-wagering contests and then many will head to Monticello Raceway on Sunday (July 17) for an event on the betting card there.

Saturday at Yonkers Raceway will see a seven-horse and a six-horse trot with the initial event going to post at 6 p.m.

Set for action there are the Eastern Region point leader Simeon “Hot Rod” Hunsdon and runner-up, Billings president, Tony “the Capo” Verruso. David “Steady As” Yarock and “Tough Tony” Ciuffetelli, third and fourth on the eastern region leaderboard, also have mounts at Yonkers.

On Sunday, Hunsdon and Yarock will travel to the Mighty M for the Billings trot there. Also going to Monticello after competing in the Billings at Yonkers on Saturday will be George “The Brooklyn Cowboy” Casale, Harvey “Doc” Stein and “Lightning Laura” MacNamara.

“Schoolboy Joe” Bongiorno, last season’s National Amateur Driver of the Year, who only has six drives thus far this year in Billings action, will also be joining the Billings battlers at Monticello on Sunday.

With contests at 18 venues already completed this year, with most of them in the east, here are the current point standings in the Eastern Region. Simeon Hunsdon (68); Tony Verruso (63); David Yarock (57); Tony Ciuffetelli (49); Alan “The Intimidator” Schwartz (45); Laura MacNamara (40); Vladimir “Butch” Melnichenko (34); Dave “Yes It’s True” Offenberg (34); Joe Bongiorno (30) and “Canada Bo” Sowers (26).

The Midwest Region leaderboard is as follows: Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford (58); “Roundhouse Rob” Krivelin (32); Hal “Smiley” Edwards (31); Mike “the Mortgage Man” Mitchell (25); “Howie the Horse” Gelfand (17); “Joltin’ Joe” Pennacchio (15); “Lawbook Larry” Farley (15); Kelly “Sky” Walker (15); Dein “The Jupiter Gem” Spriggs (14) and Daniel “Toolman” St. Pierre (13).