by Ken Weingartner, Harness Racing Communications

Ken Weingartner

Freehold, NJ — As Brandon Simpson tries to establish himself on the East Coast, his best quality as a driver might be behind the wheel of a car.

Simpson, 28, has moved his base of operation from Chicago to the metro New York area in the hopes of furthering his career as a harness racing driver. He plans to race “anywhere I can, as much as I can” to get his foot in the door.

“I love racing and that’s what I have to do to get my name out there and get going,” Simpson said. “If it’s to drive one or two horses a day for a while, that’s just how it’s going to be. It gets my name on the sheet. I don’t expect it to be overnight. It’s one of those things you’ve got to work for, but I’m not afraid to do that.”

Since arriving last week, Simpson has driven 20 times (counting qualifiers) and traveled to the Meadowlands, Monticello, Freehold and Dover Downs.

Brandon Simpson

“It’s always tough going to new places,” Simpson said. “I know a lot of the people, but a lot of people probably haven’t seen me drive that much. I feel like I’ve done well (in Illinois) and I’ve progressed. I think it’s a good time to learn some more, and this is one of the best places to learn with the top drivers.”

Simpson, the son of trainer Dirk Simpson and grandson of Illinois Hall of Famer Buddy Simpson, won 295 races and $2.1 million in 2009. Both were career highs. His top win came with trotter Miss Vickie in the Lady Ann Reed at Balmoral Park. He was second in two divisions of the Orange & Blue Stakes as well as in an American-National. He was fourth in the standings at Maywood Park and third at Balmoral — only 20 behind leader Mike Oosting.

He has won 1,035 lifetime races and $6.5 million.

It was not easy to leave Illinois, especially because Simpson’s wife, Abigail, and 18-month-old son, Gabriel, have stayed behind until he gets settled.

“We’ll try to move on from there; take things slowly,” Simpson said. “I’d like to be able to base my everyday racing from around this area and grow from there.”

Simpson, who is training a handful of horses with friend Curtis Carey, was slated to race today at Dover Downs and has drives at the Meadowlands and Monticello over the next two days.

“I’d like to win a race at the Meadowlands,” Simpson said. “The track is great and the people are really nice. It’s just a great place to race. I’ve watched it all my life and now I’m out here racing. It’s pretty exciting.”

While in college, Simpson worked for two years at a restaurant. He started as a server and was eventually promoted to manager. The experience helped him learn to manage a business, manage customers, and manage himself. That experience also could be beneficial as he tries to establish himself on the East Coast.

“I think I can manage myself and things pretty good,” Simpson said. “I think I take care of a horse pretty good and I listen well and don’t do a lot of crazy stuff. I’ve got to meet new people and they’ve got to learn to trust you and see how you handle yourself and how you handle the horses. Hopefully, they like what I do.”