Spring will be a busy time for amateur racing at Cal-Expo in Sacramento, California. The amateurs will have the spotlight on beginning in mid-April with the sixth annual East-West Challenge. Two weeks later, a team from New Zealand will land to take on the West Coasters, and in May, the club hosts the first installment of what has become an annual event, the TVG Amateur Series
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On April 15 and 16, four of the top 11 Billings finishers make the cross-country trip for the sixth edition of the East-West Challenge. The Californian contingent has won four of the first five annual events, but the Easterners have assembled one of their most competitive team ever seeking vengeance for their defeats over the last two years.
Twenty-two different Billings drivers have competed in the event since 2006 and this year, three “new” representatives and one returning pilot will grace the Left Coast with their presence. Team East, will be treated to spring in The Golden State, and four races on each of two weekend nights. Local horsemen will enjoy increased purses for the events and fans will be treated to seeing a variation to the professional drivers they see night in and night out at the track.
First-timers Laura MacNamara, Simeon Hunsdon and Jamie Marra join second-timer Steve Oldford as representatives of the Eastern delegation. Sue Boyce, Robert Stepien, Fauts winner Rick Bertrand, and David Siegel represent Team West.
After a week off, the California Club will host a team of Kiwi’s for a weekend of racing on April 29 and 30. Six randomly drawn races will be conducted over the two night series and all club members in good standing will be included in the draw. Since the drivers from down under will be largely unknown to local fans, the wagering pools will possess all kinds of opportunities for large payoffs. Like the East-West Challenge, the Down Under Friendship Challenge will bring great variety to the Cal-Expo program.
Finally, TVG will be sponsoring the club’s annual series. This year, the format will be altered for the spring portion of the series. Rather than the usual “trainer names driver” assignment of horses, there will be random assignment of horses to drivers at the draw, making this a true driving competition. Details of the format will be forthcoming.
While racing faces great challenges, amateur driving thrives in California due to the great support it receives from the horsemen and its association, track management, TVG, and the 14 club members themselves.
For information about the California Amateur Driving Club, the Challenge or Amateur Driving in general, please visit www.thecadc.com.
(California Amateur Driving Club)