If this season is any indication, Scott Zeron can whip up wins with the best of them. Zeron, with 525 victories entering Wednesday, ranks No. 5 in the North American driving standings and is No. 1 in Canada

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Not bad for a 21-year-old. In fact, only one driver has ever won more races in a calendar year prior to the age of 22. That was Jordan “The Kid” Stratton, who notched 630 triumphs in 2008, also at the age of 21.

Zeron, the son of Canadian standout driver Rick “The Whip” Zeron, can join Stratton in another exclusive club. Zeron, who turned 21 in May, has 950 lifetime wins and should join Stratton, Walter Case Jr., and Matt Kakaley as the only drivers to reach 1,000 prior to turning 22. Kakaley, at 21 and three months old, was the youngest of that group when he accomplished the feat last year.

“I think it’s been a breakout year,” Zeron said. “You need a year that will propel you forward in this industry so everybody around will acknowledge that you could be a potentially good driver. That’s what it’s been. I’ve been able to show how I can drive a horse and I’ve been able to drive some good quality horses.

“It’s been a long, hard-working year to prove that, but hopefully I got my point out.”

Zeron, from Oakville, Ont., won 266 races in 1,539 starts last season and topped $2 million in Canadian earnings. This year, he increased his workload, racing 2,748 times, while more than doubling his wins and nearly reaching $4 million (so far). He is the leading driver at Flamboro Downs, No. 2 at Georgian Downs and was third at both Grand River and Clinton raceways.

“Last year helped me pick up some drives,” Zeron said. “I went to every track I could possibly drive at. There were no days off, or anything like that. It was double cards every day. By doing that, I’ve been in almost every race. When you’re in every race, you’ve got a lot of chances to win a lot of races.”

In 2009, Zeron’s top win came with FBs Terror in an Ontario Sire Stakes Super Final at Woodbine Racetrack. This year, his top moment came with Part Shark in the prestigious Gold Cup & Saucer at Charlottetown Driving Park on Prince Edward Island.

Part Shark won in 1:51, which was the fastest mile in the history of the half-mile oval. Zeron became the youngest driver to accomplish the feat at Charlottetown.

“That race is phenomenal,” Zeron said. “That was probably like winning the [Little Brown] Jug. That really helped me to keep going. It was right in the middle of the year when it’s tough to be driving two tracks a day and stay energetic. When you pick up some good drives like that and win some big races, it gives you so much energy to keep going throughout the year. That was the highlight, for sure, of my year.”

Zeron began going to the races on a regular basis around the age of 12, but it wasn’t until he experienced the speed of racing first hand that he knew driving was what he wanted to do.

“The first time I went full speed with a full batch of horses in the race bike, that’s when I felt the rush and needed to be a driver,” he said. “I went to college for two years to be an accountant, but driving was what I wanted to do. They’re the complete opposites. One, you’re sitting behind a desk and one’s got your heart racing all day.

“I’m happy I’ve got the horse racing.”

Zeron said there is no pressure to succeed based on his family’s name. Rick Zeron has won 7,226 races and was this year’s leading driver at Mohawk Racetrack.

“There’s no ‘He’s got to be as good as his dad, or better.’ To me, it doesn’t really matter. He’s behind me a hundred per cent, so that’s all that counts,” Zeron said.

“Now that I’m driving more on the WEG circuit, that’s where he can offer a lot more advice,” he added. “When you go to different tracks you have to adapt to the driving style. That’s coming into play. He’ll give me tips. He doesn’t tell me before a race how to drive, but he’ll tell me after the race if I’ve done something wrong.”

Zeron set his goals this year for 400 wins and $4 million, so he will surpass his expectations. He said he would set next year’s goals when this one is completed.

“It’s been an amazing ride,” Zeron said. “What really gets me going is when I ask [trainers and owners] what they want me to do with the horse and they tell me they don’t care because they’ve got the best driver in the race. That, for me, is such an honour. I can’t believe people say that.

“For me it’s a lot of fun just winning races for people. That’s what keeps me happy.”

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This story courtesy of Harness Racing Communications, a division of the U.S. Trotting Association. For more information, visit www.ustrotting.com.