by John Manzi, for the Billings Series

Monticello, NY — Now that the summer season is here action in the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series picks up. This weekend four Billings trots are slated to be contested — two in the Eastern Region and two in the Midwest Region.

On Saturday, July 11, eastern region members will convene at Rockingham Park in Salem, N.H., for a contest over the mile track there and the following day, Sunday, July 12, a race will be presented over the half-mile track at Scarborough Downs in Scarborough, Maine.

Not to be outdone, on Sunday, July 12, members in the Midwest Region are ready to battle in two contests at Raceway Park in Toledo, Ohio.

The race at ‘the Rock’ will feature Don “I’m Ready to Draw” Hoover, who comes into the event off a driving victory at Historic Track last week. He’ll be joined by Scott “the Driving Doctor” Woogen, who also reined a winner at Goshen.

The next day Hoover and Woogen move on with six others to Scarborough Downs for a race there. They’ll be joined by Todd “the Downeaster” Whitney, who annually hosts the Billings drivers to a grand lobster bake at his home in nearby Auburn.

The two Billings splits at Raceway Park will see the return of Gregg “Fast Greggy” Keidel and Brett “Spartan Stores” Boyd and both will go head-to-head in the first Billings trot, race number two on the card there. Joining them will be Patricia “the Write Stuff” Miller, who will be making her second Billings start.

The other division features Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford, fresh off his trip to “Trot Town USA” where at the annual Hall of Fame banquet on the lawn of the Harness Racing Museum he received the Billings Amateur Driver of the Year Award.

Oldford also won a Billings contest at Historic Track last weekend and that victory vaulted him to the top of all three point standings — East region, Midwest region and combined points total.