On Monday, January 9, Harness Track's of America announced that George Brennan, the 44-year-old driver from Monticello, New York, is HTA’s Driver of the Year
for 2011, a rigorous achievement which remains the most difficult to win in the sport of harness racing, according to HTA.
Hard evidence again this year is the fact that of 3,631 drivers who competed for purses in North America last year, only six were able to finish in the top 10 in 'money won,' 'races won' and 'Universal Driver Rating (UDR) in-the-money percentages.'
The 2011 award is Brennan’s first as HTA Driver of the Year.
Brennan’s trophy will be presented at United States Harness Writer’s 2012 Dan Patch Awards Dinner, Sunday, February 12, in Orlando, Florida.
Under the HTA formula, points are awarded on the basis of 25 for first down to 1 for 25th in the standings in 'money won,' 'races won' and UDRS, with a 25-point bonus for finishing in the top 25 in all three categories.
The complete standings for the top ten drivers in North America in 2011 based upon the calculation for HTA Driver of the Year appears below (please note that purses earnings are in U.S. funds).
(With files from HTA)