by John Manzi, for the Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers Association

Monticello, NY — Every year during Hambletonian week at the Meadowlands, sportsmen and women are afforded an opportunity to drive on the famed mile oval.

On Thursday (August 4), two 10-horse trots for Hambletonian Amateurs Drivers will be contested; one at 6:40 p.m. prior to the wagering card getting underway and the other carded as race three on the betting portion of the program where first post is slated at 7 p.m.

As usual, most of the drivers competing in the Hambletonian Amateur Trots are members of the C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Championship Series but only those with horses that fit the Billings eligibility criteria are entitled to earn points.

The non-wagering contest is filled with Billings members. They include Peter “the Past President” Gerry, “Joltin’ Joe” Pennacchio, Scott “the Driving Doctor” Woogen, “Smokin’ Joe” Faraldo, “Gentleman Jamie” Marra, Kelly “Sky” Walker, Simeon “Hot Rod Hunsdon, Brad “Not Basil” Rathbone, Dave “Linemaster” Ehrenberg and David “Steady As” Yarock.

The second split, race three on the betting card, mainly has Billings members but other sportmen also have mounts. The drivers in that field include Dave “Yes It’s True” Offenberg, “Lightning Laura” MacNamara, Terry “the Dairy Queen” Donnelly, Miguel Lopez, “Roundhouse Rob” Krivelin, “Phil the Bill” Antonacci, Bob “the Headhunter” Hechkoff, Tony “the Capo” Verruso, Mike Izzo and George “the Brooklyn Cowboy” Casale.

Billings members from both the Eastern and Midwest Regions are competing and each driver will earn points in the respective regions that they signed-up for at the beginning of the Billings racing season.

Simeon Hundson, with 77 points, leads the Eastern Region by 10 points over runner-up Tony Verruso’s 67. Third in points is Dave Yarock with 66, followed by Laura MacNamara (58), “Tough Tony” Ciuffettelli (53), Alan “the Intimidator” Schwartz (45), “Schoolboy Joe” Bongiorno (43), Dave Offenberg (41), Harvey “Doc” Stein (35) and Vladimir “Butch” Melnichenko (34).

Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford leads the Midwest Region with 58 points but he’s been in Italy competing in an international driving tourney in Taranto, Puglia, and won’t be back in time for the Hambleonian amateurs event.

Trailing Oldford are Rob Krivelin (32), Hal “Smiley” Edwards (31), Mike “the Mortgage Man” Mitchell (25), Dave Ehrenberg (20), “Howie The Horse” Gelfand (17), Joe Pennacchio (15), “Lawbook Larry” Farley (15), Kelly Walker (15) and Dein “the Jupiter Gem” Spriggs (14).