It isn’t often that Monticello Raceway gets a chance to have the leading driver in North America compete over its racing surface.
However, that will change on Wednesday, November 20 when Northfield Park sensation Ronnie Wrenn Jr. takes a trip to the ‘Mighty M’ to compete in the final leg of the track’s Heritage Drivers Series: the Maple Leaf Mile for drivers of Canadian heritage.
At last count, Wrenn has driven 597 winners and has 416 seconds and 360 thirds from 2,665 starts and currently boasts a .363 UDR. Wrenn’s win total is some 26 more than runner-up Dave Palone’s 571 and 56 more than Tim Tetrick’s 541.
Wrenn has been racing mostly at Northfield Park, although one day a week he’s been traveling to Batavia Downs to compete. He recently called the Monticello Raceway publicity office and offered to race in the Maple Leaf Mile.
“My dad called me and said Monticello is looking for drivers of Canadian heritage, and ‘since we have Canada in our background, why don’t you give them a call?’ he told me, which I did,” said the younger Wrenn.
“I told their publicity office that ‘I’d to come to Monticello and drive (in the Canadian race), but I think you can understand it’s a long drive from Northfield to Monticello, but if I can get quite a quite a few drives that day I’ll be there. Just please let me know if that’s possible.’”
Eric Warner, the Mighty M’s director of racing, thought that Wrenn’s request was reasonable.
“We’ll do our best to get him (Wrenn) as many drives as possible that afternoon,” Warner said when the question was posed to him. “Of course we’ll need the cooperation of the local trainers, but with Wrenn’s record and talent I don’t think there will be too much trouble finding drives for him. At least I hope not.”
If Wrenn decides to come he’ll be competing against some talented local drivers whose background goes back to Canada in one way or another.
Among those Warner has already received confirmation from include last year’s winner, Jimmy Devaux, and two recent members of the local colony, Jason Ryan and Aaron Byron. Warner also said that Jacques Primeau and Keith Haase can be counted on, but he still needs eight drivers to fill the race.
Anyone of Canadian heritage that would like to drive in the Maple Leaf Mile is asked to contact Warner in the race office by calling 845-794-4100 (Ext. 557) or they can contact the track’s publicity department at extension 455.
(Monticello)