On Friday, August 8, ten of the best drivers in the sport of harness racing will take to the track at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino for the inaugural $20,000 East Meets Midwest Drivers’ Challenge.

The challenge, which is the first of its kind at Hoosier Park, will pit the top five drivers, based upon wins, at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino, against five of the top drivers from the east in a three-race challenge. The winning team will go home with its share of the $20,000 prize.

Harness racings’ all time leading money-winning driver and Hall of Famer, John Campbell will return to Indiana and will headline ‘Team East.’ Campbell far exceeds any driver when it comes to purse earnings with over $287 million in the bike and victories in nearly every major stakes event to date. He is a member of both the Canadian and United States Hall of Fame and is one of only 10 drivers in North America with more than 10,000 career wins.

Campbell will be joined by the nation’s current leading dash-winning driver, Aaron Merriman, who leads North America in wins with 464 victories to date. Also included on the stellar cast of entrants for Team East are Ron Pierce, Corey Callahan, and Tyler Buter.

Hoosier Park’s leading driver, Trace Tetrick, will lead ‘Team Midwest’ after he secured his number one position with 170 victories. Team Midwest will also include Tyler Smith, Sam Widger, Peter Wrenn and Ricky Macomber Jr.

“This is going to be a lot of fun,” driver Peter Wrenn said of the challenge. “They are going to be tough to beat that is for sure, but it’s going to be a great night of racing the entire night. I know we are all looking forward to it.”

Each team will have five participants in three consecutive races of the challenge and will be awarded points based upon their placings. At the conclusion of the final race of the challenge (Race 9), the points will be tallied and one team will be crowned the winner.

The East Meets Midwest Drivers’ Challenge will compliment one of the most highly anticipated days on the harness racing card at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino with the 21st edition of the $250,000 Dan Patch Invitational slated as the twelfth race of the evening with a post time of 9:30 p.m.

(With files from Hoosier)