The British are coming to Monticello Raceway on Monday, June 28. Well, at least those of English heritage will be coming when the 'Mighty M' presents its fourth Mayflower Mile, a race for drivers of British heritage.

The event, which will be the sixth leg of the Monticello’s year-long Heritage Drivers Series, is scheduled on June 28 which is the date in 1491 when the famous British monarch, King Henry VIII was born.

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 Pace, which will be contested in early October.

Drivers that have already earned a berth in the series finale (the All-America Pace) via their victories in the preliminary Heritage Drivers Series legs include George Polk, Jr. (Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Pace), Jennifer Lappe (Lady Godiva Pace), John Gilmour (St. Paddy Pace), Alan Charles (Passover Pace) and Kenny Devaux (Maple Leaf Pace).

With many of the tracks leading drivers participating in last season’s Mayflower Mile, the outcome wasn’t sure until the final strides when Billy 'Zeke' Parker, Jr. urged Windy City Buddy to a head victory in a 1:59:4 clocking.

“Currently we have a quite 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).

(Monticello)