by John Manzi, for the Delvin Miller Harness Drivers Association

Monticello, NY — Harness racing’s greatest traveling road show, the C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Championship Series, will be in full force this upcoming Memorial Day weekend with a Midwestern Region trot at Scioto Downs on Friday, May 28, followed by wild card events in New England on Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

On Saturday there will be an event at Bangor Raceway in Maine, followed on Sunday with a contest at Scarborough Downs in Maine and ending Monday with a race for the Billings drivers at Plainridge Racecourse in Massachusetts.

The Scioto Downs trot will be just the second event strictly for members of the Midwest region. Headlining the race there are Billings veterans Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford, Bob “Lumberman” Troyer and Dave “Linemaster” Ehrenberg II.

Currently, Oldford’s 17 points leads that region followed by “Tar Heel Tom” Williams’ 15. They are followed by Ehrenberg II (7), Mike “the Mortgage Man” Mitchell (6) and Kelly “Sky” Walker and “Jumpin’ Jim” Pollock, each with five points.

A former multiple Billings point champion, Oldford will also travel to New England to compete in all the events there. Joining him at Bangor Raceway on Saturday will be Tony “The Capo” Verruso, winner of the Billings Gold Cup Championship Final last year at The Meadows and 17-year-old Cory “the Teenage Terror” Stratton, a Billings Trot winner at the Meadowlands on May 9.

Oldford and Verruso also have mounts on Sunday at Scarborough Downs and they’ll be joined there by, among others, Simeon “Hot Rod” Hunsdon and Scott “the Driving Doctor” Woogen.

The card at Plainridge Racecourse on Monday was not available at press time but planning on being there to compete are Rob “Rapid Rail” Krivelin and “Smokin’ Joe” Faraldo.

Currently Krivelin is atop the Eastern Region leaderboard with 27 points. Stratton is second with 20 followed by Hunsdon (19), Dave “Yes It’s True” Offenberg (17) and “Coach Paul” Minore.