by John Manzi, for the NAADA

Monticello, NY — The North American Amateur Drivers Association will host a contingent of their counterparts from Hungary in an international friendship competition beginning in mid-April.

It will be the first of four European amateur organizations that NAADA will host this season. Others who will be hosted by the Americans include amateur drivers from Spain, Italy and France.

“We (NAADA) raced against our Hungarian friends last year and in 2004 we hosted them in America. However, two years ago when Hungary was the site of the World Cup of Amateur Racing, the USA made its best showing in the prestigious competition when Hannah Miller, after leading all the way, was out-pointed in the final race and was relegated to a second place finish in the 13-country competition of world class amateurs,” noted NAADA president Joe Faraldo.

The visiting Hungarians are slated to arrive in the States on Sunday (April 15) with competitions set at three different racetracks during the upcoming week. On Monday (April 16) two races are slated at Monticello Raceway and the following day, one or two contests at Yonkers Raceway. The final events of the friendship competition will be at Saratoga Raceway on Thursday (April 19).

The Hungarians set to compete at the Mighty M this coming Monday (April 16) and throughout the entire competition include Andrea Fazekas, Viktoria Kelemen, Ferenc Leanyfalvi, Krisztian Takacs, Andrea Nagyvary and Tamas Tanczer.

However, the hometown Americans will have a different team at each of the three venues. Driving for the USA at Monticello will be Alan Schwartz, Tony Cuiffetelli, Paul Minore and Monica Banca. At Yonkers Raceway the USA team will consist of Joe Faraldo, Alan Schwartz, Jennifer Lappe and Joe Lee. The NAADA team at Saratoga Raceway is yet to be finalized.

On Tuesday (April 17) the visitors will be treated to a tour of the Intrepid Aircraft Museum and a walk through Times Square along with a luncheon sponsored by NAADA member Peter Kleinhans. In the evening the Hungarian and American drivers will battle in a race, or two, at Yonkers Raceway. Then on Wednesday (April 18) it’ll be off to Trot-Town USA with a visit to the Mark Ford Training Center in the morning and after a fine luncheon the visitors will be afforded a tour of Goshen Historic Track and the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame. On Thursday (April 19) the international rivals will be vanned to Saratoga for a visit of the Historic City of Saratoga Springs before a competition at Saratoga Raceway. On Friday (April 20) the visitors will return home.