by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — Aaron Merriman keeps a busy schedule as harness racing’s leading driver, but he always has time for his friends.

In this case, the friends are on Facebook, the social networking website. Merriman has nearly 1,900 friends on the site and makes every effort to answer questions from fans and followers, as well as keep in touch with fellow drivers, trainers and owners.

“I got on it last February (2009),” Merriman said. “It’s actually kind of neat. There are some bettors who send me messages and ask questions, which I think is really good. Sometimes you can clarify why a horse raced badly or why a driver did something. I think the better the communication and the more people get to know and see things about the horseracing industry, the better their understanding.”

USTA photo

Aaron Merriman enjoys communicating with the public on Facebook.

The 31-year-old Merriman leads all drivers in North America in wins, with 324 victories entering Tuesday. Last year, Merriman finished third in the standings, with a career-high 706 triumphs.

In the Facebook “friends race,” he trails the likes of Tim Tetrick (with 3,600-plus) and Jody Jamieson, but is still among harness racing’s most popular. Among his favorites are drivers Ryan Stahl and Wyatt Irvine and trainer Barry Langley.

“I see them all the time, but we needle each other a little bit on Facebook,” Merriman said. “It’s kind of cool.”

Merriman primarily races in Ohio and western Pennsylvania, so Facebook helps develop relationships with drivers elsewhere. Delaware-based Corey Callahan and Merriman frequently exchange messages. Callahan is tied for fifth place in the North American driver standings.

“It helps friendships,” Merriman said. “Corey and I were borderline friends before, but now it’s blossomed into more because of a little bit of competitive spirit.”

Merriman is a fan of reaching out to the public in any way possible. He likes the idea of being able to use Twitter from the track, such as done by Canadian Mark MacDonald (MarkMacRacing), with the blessings of racetrack officials. Merriman believes it is a good way for drivers to explain their craft, and/or correct misperceptions.

“A lot of places want to put the kibosh on us communicating with the public, but I think there should be more of it,” Merriman said. “I think it would really help. I think it’s very important we stay in touch with the public; that’s where our money comes from.”

As for his efforts on the track, Merriman has his sights set on the driving title that eluded him last season. Entering Tuesday, Merriman led both Dave Palone and Jason Bartlett by 93 wins.

“It’s been a great start; hopefully, it can continue,” Merriman said. “I’m going to shoot for the dash title, hopefully, unless I get too tired. I’d like to make it my goal and really pursue it, even though I’m going to try to take a day off every week. I’m not going to try to go every single day; I want to be home one day a week.

“It would be something nice to have on my resume. Hopefully, I can maintain my lead.”