For the second time in as many months members of the North American Amateur Drivers Association will be traveling to Europe to again compete in an International Friendship Competition this time against their counterparts from Hungary. Races are slated at Kincsem Park in Budapest in early September.

“It’s been over 25 years since NAADA has competed in Hungary, which by the way, was the site of the World Cup of Amateur Racing last year,” noted NAADA president, Joe Faraldo. “In those races Hannah Miller was the overall point leader until the final day of competition when the Italian amateur finished just one point better than her total. Still, a second place finish among the 12 participating countries was the best showing ever by an American in the prestigious World Cup of Amateur Racing."

Although the upcoming races in Budapest can’t be compared to the World Cup events still the participants are excited about the competition.

Those competing for team USA will be Alan Schwartz (586 career wins), Peter Kleinhans ( 54 wins) Bob Davis (30 wins) and Paul Minore (89 wins) along with team leader, Joe Faraldo (143 wins), who won three races abroad-- including one at Vincennes in Paris-- when the Americans recently competed on European soil in both France and Italy.

But the Hungarians will be no pushover. Among their drivers is Andrea Fazekas, one of the top amateurs in Hungary, and for that matter, in all of Europe. (she is pictured here driving her father’s Ollyan Nincs winning a Free For All trot at Kincsem Park)

Supplying support for Ms. Fazekas in the upcoming Friendship Competition will probably be Andrea Naqyvari, Tamas Bencze, Viktoria Kelemen, Sandor Hegedus, and Tamas Tanczer

According to Budapest Trotting Association president Karog Kotun, they have a wonderful facility at Kincsem Park where there are three tracks; one at 1200 meters for the harness races, along with a dirt and turf course for the thoroughbreds.

(NAADA)