Not only will some of the best horses in the country go to post at Hoosier Park on Friday, October 30, but the best drivers in the country will also be in the spotlight in the second annual East Meets Midwest Drivers’ Challenge.

This unique challenge will pit the top-five drivers at Hoosier Park against five of the top drivers from the East in a five-race challenge with the victorious team going home with a winner take all $10,000 prize.

The top five drivers from Hoosier Park will make-up “Team Midwest” with the top five drivers from the East making up “Team East”. In the inaugural edition, “Team East” won two of the challenge races and tallied the most points to take home top honours last season. Scott Peine, Hoosier Park’s racing secretary, has once again inherited the responsibility of recruiting the best drivers to compete in the second edition of the event.

Harness racings’ all time leading money winning driver, John Campbell returns to Indiana and will lead “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 stake 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. With nearly 40,000 lifetime driving wins collectively, “Team East” will also include David Miller, Tim Tetrick, Yannick Gingras, and Scott Zeron.

Hoosier Park’s leading driver Trace Tetrick will lead the home team, “Team Midwest”, after garnering 300 wins to date at Hoosier Park this season. Tetrick leads all drivers by 150 wins and is well on his way to earning his fourth leading driver title at Hoosier Park in 2015. “Team Midwest” will also include Tyler Smith, LeWayne Miller, John DeLong, and Sam Widger.

Each team will have five drivers in five consecutive races on the evening’s card and will be awarded points based upon their placings. In the event of a scratch, the driver will earn 5 points. The East Meets Midwest Drivers’ Challenge will be featured in races 4-8 on the evening. At the conclusion of the final race of the challenge, 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 nights on the harness racing calendar at Hoosier Park as Grand Circuit racing actions returns for the final time this season. With purses topping the $1 million mark, the evening will be highlighted by the $285,500 Monument Circle Pace, the $265,000 Carl Erskine Trot, and the $165,000 Hoosier Park Pacing Derby.

All of the drivers competing in the East Meets Midwest challenge will kick-off the evening with an autograph session near Hoosier Park’s winner circle beginning at 4:30 p.m. The first race will go to post at 5:45 p.m.

(Hoosier Park)