by John Manzi, for the Monticello-Goshen chapter USHWA

Monticello, NY — Over the past few years racing fans at Monticello Raceway have seen Alan Schwartz in action. And although he still carries an amateur moniker the vast majority of his races have been against professionals.

When he races solely against amateur drivers he sticks out. And why shouldn’t he? After all Schwartz has won 49 races this year alone and nearly all against the pros. Furthermore, his 492 career driving victories ranks him among the elite amateur drivers of all time.

Bolstered by his seasonal — and lifetime stats — it’s easy to see why Schwartz was chosen as this season’s Amateur Driver of the Year by the Monticello-Goshen Chapter USHWA.

Geri Schwarz photo

Alan Schwartz was chosen as this season’s Amateur Driver of the Year by the Monticello-Goshen Chapter USHWA.

For the record, Schwartz has now garnered the local Amateur Driver of the Year award three times over the past decade. He was also the National Amateur Driver of the Year during the 2000 campaign, an award which was selected and presented by the national organization of USHWA.

In 2002, Schwartz received the Clyde Hirt Good Guy Award from the New York City chapter of USHWA and last year he was the recipient of the Monticello-Goshen Chapter’s Good Guy Award.

As an officer in the North American Amateur Drivers Association, Schwartz occasionally gets to travel abroad to compete in amateur driving competitions. He has driven in many European countries — Russia included — as well as in Canada, New Zealand and Australia and usually with good success. Moreover, he has represented the United States three times in the prestigious World Cup of Amateur Racing.

Schwartz has been competing in the Billings Series since he obtained his driving license in 1988 and has been a Billings champion on several occasions. However, his focus now is more on his small racing stable at Monticello Raceway, rather than traveling around the country to compete in the Billings Series.

Prior to his involvement in harness racing Schwartz was a businessman and a few seasons ago he was elected president of the Monticello Harness Horsemen’s Association where he works tirelessly for both the good of his fellow horsemen and for the good of racing.

It was during the early 1970s that Schwartz got bitten by the harness racing bug. He was strictly an owner back then and even had one of the most outstanding horses racing on the old New York metropolitan circuit — a pacer named Curragh.

“He (Curragh) was the catalyst for me getting involved as a driver,” Schwartz explained. “I got my amateur license in 1988 and although I’ve had an “A” (full) license for years I never lost my amateur status. And I might remind you that amateur does not mean novice.”

When the Monticello-Goshen Chapter USHWA holds its 54th annual awards banquet at The Fountains on Sands Road in Middletown, N.Y., on Sunday (Nov. 18), Schwartz will be presented with the chapter’s Amateur Driver of the Year award.