by John Manzi, publicity director, Monticello Raceway

Monticello, NY — The British are coming to Monticello Raceway on Monday (Sept. 24). Well at least those with English blood in their family tree will be coming when The Mighty M presents its Mayflower Mile, a race for drivers of British heritage.

The event, which will be the seventh leg of the Raceway’s year-long Heritage Drivers Series, is scheduled on Sept. 24, the date of the famed Battle of Rowton Heath in 1645 during the English Civil War when a Royalist army, commanded in person by King Charles, was defeated by the Parliamentarians under the command of German Sydnam Poyntz.

The winning driver in the Mayflower Mile will represent the “Brits” in the series finale. He, or she, will be joined by all the previous Heritage Series race winners in what is being dubbed the All-America Cup which will be contested in early November.

Drivers who already have earned a berth in the series finale via their victories in the Heritage Drivers Series preliminary legs include Bobby Williams, Jr. (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pace); Lisa Krom (Lady Godiva Pace); Jimmy Taggart, Jr. (St. Paddy Pace), Alan Charles (Passover Pace), Mike Merton (Munich Mile); and Mike Forte (Godfather Pace).

With many of the track’s leading drivers participating the last time the Mayflower Mile was contested the outcome wasn’t certain until the final strides when Greg Merton got Tradin Paint up for a neck victory in a 1:59.3 clocking.

“Currently we have quite a few drivers of English descent ready to compete but we still can use more in order to have a full field,” said Eric Warner, the track’s Director of Racing. “Anyone with family origins which can be traced back to anywhere in the United Kingdom is eligible to compete in our Mayflower Mile as long as they have either a “P” (provisional) or “A” (full) license from the USTA.”

Any person who fits the criteria and would like to compete in the Mayflower Mile is asked to please contact Warner in the race office by calling 845.794.4100, ext. 557; or they can call the track’s public relations department at 845.794.4100, ext. 455.