Last season 17-year-old Joe Bongiorno was named National Amateur Driver of the Year by the United States Harness Writers Association and he received his award when the scribes held their Night of Champions Awards Banquet in South Florida this past February
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Racing against drivers more than twice his age, and sometimes three or four times his age, young Bongiorno, a high school student at Colts Neck (NJ)H.S. remained undaunted and executed the lessons taught to him by his grandfather, Harold “Sonny” Dancer, Jr.
From 14 starts for purse money in amateur driving ranks during the 2010 campaign young Joe won six times, had two seconds and three thirds for a lofty .579 UDR.
Most in the industry knew Bongiorno was going to become a professional driver and when he turned 18 on September 23, 2011, and he did just that.
However, prior to that date, Bongiorno again competed in the Billings Series and at various amateur clubs races at racetracks in the northeast.
Thus far this season Bongiorno has reined nine winners but since late September he found the going a bit tougher against the pros. Still the youngster has shown plenty of talent, so much so that the Harness Writers from the Monticello-Goshen Chapter USHWA will make him the recipient of their annual “Rising Star Award” where former winners include the likes of; Jordan Stratton, Jimmy Marohn, Jr. and Greg Merton; to name a few.
Driving in betting races at the Mighty M this year Bongiorno has had four wins, two seconds and one third in 10 starts but he has showed enough talent to persuade the writers that they have found this year’s “rising star”.
Perhaps it was the driving double that he had at the Monticello Raceway on October 4th when he reined both Benzorama A and Luda to victory on the same card .
“That was my first pari-mutuel driving double,” Bongiorno said proudly and then added, “I hope to have many more winners in future years.”
The pride and joy of his parents, Bob and Barbara,(Sonny’s daughter), young Bongiorno is a wonderful, clean- cut young man with manners and a talent for driving. And being a member of the very accomplished Dancer family - Stanley is his great uncle - he’s got ability bred into him.
It may seen coincidental that Bongiorno is vaulting into renown at Monticello Raceway but his granddad, “Sonny” Dancer used the Mighty M as a stepping stone when he won the driving title here in 1961.
Bongiorno will receive his award when the local scribes hold their 53rd Annual Banquet at Monticello Casino and Raceway on October 30.
(Monticello Raceway)