by John Manzi, for the Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers’ Association

Monticello, NY — Rob “Rapid Rail” Krivelin has vaulted into the point lead in the Eastern Region of the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series after a victory at the Afton (NY) Fair on Thursday, July 12.

With former leader Peter “the President” Gerry on the sidelines, Krivelin took advantage of the moment. His 2:06.2 victory at Afton earned him 11 points and he now leads Gerry by five points (77-72) on the Eastern Region leaderboard.

But that could change on Sunday at Monticello Raceway when both gentlemen take a perch behind a spirited trotting steed and each will look to add to their seasonal point totals.

But as they say, we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.

The task at hand is the results of the race at Afton, a small country town in south central New York.

Unitas, who started from post four, didn’t make the gate and according to Krivelin he had him wide open to catch it as Amy “Rock Around the Clock” Haley fired Famous Oscar to the lead.

Unitas was in high gear around the first turn and he ranged up alongside Famous Oscar as they neared the quarter pole. At that point Haley let Krivelin take command, but as they headed to the halfway point Haley moved Famous Oscar back to the front and she led the rest of the way.

Up the backstretch the second time around George “the Brooklyn Cowboy” Casale moved Perfect Gerry to the outside and Lon “Deli Boy” Frocione did the same with The Legend. That left Krivelin locked in for his life.

When the field approached the final turn, Unitas had to go four-deep and the old timer rallied to the lead and finished one length in front of Famous Oscar to notch the veteran totter’s 40th career victory. Perfect Gerry took home the show dough for Casale.

“That was possibly the best race Unitas has gone in a long time,” Krivelin said after his victory. “We must have trotted a :28 second quarter to catch the (starting) gate and when Amy (Haley with Famous Oscar) let me go we passed the quarter in :31.1. After that I sat still and got caught in by George (Casale) and Lonnie (Frocione). I had to swing four-wide in the final turn but old Unitas was like a rocket and he trotted strong through the stretch. It was his (Unitas) 40th career victory.”

The Gerry-Krivelin mini-rivalry will continue at the Mighty M on Sunday, July 15, though they are not in the same race. Krivelin will handle Red Lace and start from post six in the fourth race while Gerry will drive Little Joey Angus and start from post three in the second race.

Both events are Billings Series trots and also featured that afternoon is the $201,500 Silk Stockings Pace Final and the finals of the 2007 Ms Monticello Raceway Beauty Pageant.