by John Manzi, for the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series

Monticello, NY — The C.K.G. Billings Harness Driving Series has a new format this year, as there will be regional division finals periodically throughout the season. The $12,000 Eastern Division 1 final is slated for Thursday (July 25) at Yonkers Raceway.

Steve “You’re Never Too” Oldford, who will be one of the eight drivers in the Eastern Division finale, tuned up for the big purse race at the Hilltop oval with a Billings trotting victory at the Fowlerville (Mich.) Fair on Monday afternoon (July 22) when he reined Garbarino to a 2:05.4 victory over Striking Lightning, driven by Kelly “Sky” Walker. Third place went to Pat “the Write Stuff” Miller and Hay Look Out while Mike “the Mortgage Man” Mitchell finished fourth behind Themilkman’skid.

“We had a short field because of the dismal racing scene in Michigan,” Oldford said by telephone after his driving victory. “But we had four longtime Billings members in the race, although I had to enter two horses so we could get a field together.”

It was a wire-to-wire effort for Oldford and the fifth seasonal driving victory for the automotive manufacturer representative from Croswell, Mich.

At Yonkers Raceway on Thursday, Oldford is one of the eight drivers who qualified for the $12,000 Division 1 final. Joining him will be “Bullet Bob” Davis, Robert “Rapid Rail” Krivelin, Alan ”the Intimidator” Schwartz, Harvey ”Doc” Stein, Bob “the Headhunter” Hechkoff, Dave “Yes its True” Offenberg and Billings president, Tony “the Capo” Verruso.

That race, an eight-horse trot, will go to post at 6 p.m. as a non-wagering affair prior to the first race on the betting card.