"It’s pretty cool that we’re Nos. 1 and 2 in the country and we race at the same track. I know racing against him makes me a better driver because he’s an amazing driver. I have to be on my ‘A’ game to even keep up with him."

Aaron Merriman and Ronnie Wrenn Jr. are rivals when it comes to racing, but friends away from the track. The two are battling for the No. 1 spot in wins among all harness racing drivers in North America, with Merriman holding a 28-victory advantage, 799-771, heading into Friday’s action.

Wrenn won last year’s dash title with 714 wins. He is the leading driver at Northfield Park, with 597 triumphs, and Merriman is second there with 447. Merriman also competes regularly at The Meadows, where he is fourth in the standings with 318 wins.

The 36-year-old Merriman was the leading driver in North America in June 2010 when he broke both wrists and his left elbow in a racing accident that sidelined him for much of the remainder of the year. He was sixth in wins last year, with 568, and fifth in 2012, with 605.

This year, Merriman is on pace to become the first driver since Tony Morgan in 2008 to win more than 800 races in a season. Merriman, who has won 6,923 races in his career, has set a career high with $6.31 million in purses this year.

The 28-year-old Wrenn was sidelined for much of January because of wrist surgery and also endured the loss of his father to cancer in May. Wrenn changed his colours to his father’s black and maroon in tribute to his dad.

Despite the hardships, Wrenn this season joined a small group of drivers to win at least 700 races in back-to-back years. The others are Tim Tetrick, Tony Morgan, Dave Palone, Walter Case Jr., Jack Moiseyev, Herve Filion, and Mike Lachance. Tetrick and Morgan are the only drivers to do it more than once and Morgan is the only one to extend the streak beyond two years -- winning at least 700 races from 2005-08 and also 1995-97.

Merriman (AM) and Wrenn (RW) recently spoke separately to Harness Racing Communications’ Ken Weingartner (KW) about their campaigns, their friendship, and the chase for No. 1. Their remarks are combined in the following “conversation.”

KW: Aaron, how do you feel heading into the last few weeks? Is winning the dash title something you think about?

AM: I’m one that doesn’t even want to look at it. I just like to do my everyday thing. It’s definitely not over until the last day. Ronnie has the opportunity to win races in bunches. When you have a guy that can win six or eight or 10 races, you never think it’s over. There are a lot of race days left. We’re both going to have to be on our toes, that’s for sure. That’s one thing about this, there are no days off.

KW: Ronnie, can you catch him?

RW: There’s always the chance, but it’s going to be hard because not only am I down (28) wins but he’s racing doubleheaders so I have to win double every day to what he does. But there’s always a shot. It’s in the back of my mind. Aaron is definitely on top of his game this year. He’s having a great year. I’m happy with finishing second if that’s the way it ends up.

KW: How do you look at your season overall?

AM: It’s been a very successful year. I got to race in some of the signature races in the sport, and that really means more to me than winning a lot of races. Just being able to participate and be competitive against the best horses and best drivers -- and really make a good showing for the state of Ohio and myself and the drivers at Northfield Park that I feel I represent.

RW: I’m very fortunate. When I moved to Ohio I was given the opportunity to drive at Northfield and drive for some well-respected trainers. Then Virgil (Morgan Jr.) gave me the opportunity to drive most of his horses at Scioto and that helped me break through there. I’m always aiming to do better. Next year I hope I have an even better year than this year. Maybe I can get a nice Grand Circuit horse or some nice sire stakes horses. I’m very happy with where I am. It’s definitely been a rough year. A lot happened to me this year in my life with my dad passing away in the spring. It was definitely tough. But that makes you stronger.

KW: With the passing of your dad, how did it affect you and your focus?

RW: It was pretty difficult, I’m not going to lie. Some days it still is; it’s still pretty fresh. As the year has gone on, I’ve gotten stronger. I feel like it’s made me a better driver in a way because it’s given me some perspective. There are way more important things in life than racing and sometimes you get caught up in winning races. It’s our livelihood, but there are more important things. It helps me to relax and not take things too seriously. I think it helps me perform better on the racetrack.

KW: Has it inspired you?

RW: Definitely. I made the switch to his colors and I think that helps give me some motivation too. I’ve had a lot of starts this year and I was lucky enough to have a good year. Hopefully I can continue; I don’t plan on slowing down. Hopefully I can compete on this level for many years. Things are really looking up in Ohio, so it seems like a pretty good place to be racing right now.

KW: Aaron, what does it mean to you to be in this position after coming back from the accident in 2010?

AM: It’s a blessing to be in this position again. At one point when I was getting ready to go into surgery, I didn’t even know if I was going to drive again. That’s the truth. It might have taken a few years, but it’s just a blessing to be back in this position. It’s something I always wanted, to win the dash title. I hope it happens. (In 2010) I felt really confident and I was just on an unbelievable roll. It felt like I could do no wrong. God had other plans, but it’s made me a better person and made me stronger. It’s made me really appreciate things, that’s for sure.

KW: What has been the highlight of your season?

AM: Driving in the Hambletonian, for sure. (Merriman finished fourth with Il Sogno Dream.)

It was just a surreal experience for me. And the support I received. Not many people get to drive in the Hambletonian, it’s one race a year. I’ve won a lot of races and gotten recognition, but that was my defining moment this year.

RW: I think probably my favourite race was when I set the world record with Victory Is Coming. She trotted in (1):51 at Scioto.

That’s pretty cool to be able to set a world record. I never imagined I would be able to, and she’s just an amazing horse. I was just thankful to be able to drive her. I have to thank the trainer (Ammon Hershberger) and owners (Betty and John Shaw) for giving me a shot with her. She had a great year and set track records at Northfield, Dayton and Scioto. Just being able to drive her made the year a little more special.

KW: How would you describe your relationship with each other?

RW: We’re very good friends. Racing against each other almost every night, we’re able to get to know one another, and when we raced at Scioto we roadtripped together from Northfield, which gave us a chance to get to know each other more. It’s pretty cool that we’re Nos. 1 and 2 in the country and we race at the same track. I know racing against him makes me a better driver because he’s an amazing driver. I have to be on my ‘A’ game to even keep up with him. I think it helps us get the best out of each other. He always aims to beat me, and I always aim to beat him. I think it kind of makes us better drivers.

AM: I think so too, especially when you can kind of needle each other a little bit. Over this last year, or year and a half, we’ve gotten to be pretty close. I consider him one of my best friends. He’s just a great kid. It makes it more competitive, but it might make it easier if the other wins (the dash title). I’m sure we’ll be happy for each other. He did it last year and, like I said, this kid can win races in bunches. He’s very, very consistent. I’m just happy that he came here. He’s been a good friend, he’s been a true friend, and I wouldn’t want to be in it with anybody else.

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