by David Siegel, for the California Amateur Driving Club

Sacramento, CA — Now that the Super Bowl, the Olympics and March Madness are behind us, the eyes of the world will be on Sacramento, California for the two-day East versus West Amateur Driving Challenge. This year, given the weakness in the economy, the directors of the event have lowered the ticket prices from $250 each to the normal admission price at Cal-Expo, the host of the event.

Perhaps the event won’t have the audience of the aforementioned affairs, and perhaps the ticket price statement was slightly exaggerated, but the event will have the attention of the eight participants, and the horsemen and wagering fans in California and in the simulcast world.

Team East will be represented by first-timers Kelly Walker and Dave Ehrenberg who will be joining teammates Tom Williams and Tony Verruso (East-West 2006 veterans). In that first installment in 2006, the West nudged out the East by only seven points. The Eastern contingent will try to avenge last year’s loss to the left coast squad.

Team West will feature one newcomer to the event, Robert Stepien, who earned his way onto the team with a strong showing in the TVG 2009 Amateur series. Returning to the event are David Siegel, Chris Hernandez and 2010 Tim Fouts representative, Rick Bertrand.

Four races will be contested on both Friday and Saturday nights. A total of 29 different trainers supported the event by entering a total of 64 horses. Free programs and selections for the Challenge races and all other races on the Cal-Expo cards on both nights can be accessed at www.trackmaster.com/calx.

Alan Kirschenbaum, California Harness Horsemen’s Association President, remarked, “Amateur racing is what makes harness racing unique among sports. It provides the opportunity for everyone to experience the adrenaline rush of competition, the way so many kids experienced it while growing up and playing sports. It is a crucial component of growing the sport’s popularity in these challenging days.

“Sometimes here in California, we feel like we’re on an island, with no other harness racing within a thousand miles of us. Bringing out the Eastern drivers for a few days of competition brings us closer to the harness racing community at large, which is important.”

Gregg Pistochini, the Cal-Expo on-air handicapper, had this to say: “As much as we try to vary the races, nothing shakes things up here the way the East-West Challenge does. The races provide some of the best wagering opportunities we have here and in the past have been some of our larger pools.”

For information about the California Amateur Driving Club, the Challenge or amateur driving in general, please visit www.thecadc.com.