With the Amateur World Cup on harness racing's world agenda for September in Italy, Pompano Park will begin hosting eliminations to determine the amateur driver that will represent the U.S.A. in this highly prestigious event.
Five Pompano Park regulars will join a trio from other amateur driving clubs around the country to determine that issue in a series of events scheduled for the next two Sundays — March 20 and 27.
The five amateurs from the Florida contingent are Dein Spriggs, Joe Pennacchio, Tony Dinges, Ron Cusimano and Jamie Marra while the out-of-towners include Robert Krivelin, Larry Ferrari and Anthony Verruso.
Spriggs is no stranger to the winner's circle as he is quickly approaching 500 career wins, including those overseas. He comes into the action with a hot .481 batting average this year.
Pennacchio has been driving winners in amateur events since 1995, when he won his first race at the famed Delaware, Ohio Little Brown Jug Fairgrounds with Fox Valley Trump. He has 207 lifetime wins.
Tony Dinges, a noted trainer at Pompano Park, has 74 lifetime wins and, in his stints in the bike in amateur events this season, sports a win percentage of close to an impressive 20%.
Ron Cusimano has 284 career successes and, during his last two seasons, compiled batting averages of .358 and .377, respectively. He is quickly approaching the million dollar mark in purse earnings.
Jamie Marra is the author of 77 career wins and has been 1-2-3 in 15 of 35 starts this season while compiling a healthy batting average of .276.
Robert Krivelin, representing the GSY, has an impressive 228 career wins and has been driving winners since 1988. The well-traveled Krivelin has plied his trade at well over 40 tracks throughout North America.
Larry Ferrari, from the Great Lakes Amateur Driving Association, has an impressive 365 career wins with 15 of those coming last year when he had his best year ever in terms of purse earnings.
Anthony Verruso, from the American Harness Driving Association, has 111 wins lifetime and already has six this semester with a batting average of .375. Last year, Verruso had his best year ever with 23 wins and a .421 batting average. Of his 84 drives last year, 50 of them were 1-2-3.
The top point winner, using the European Scoring System, will represent the U.S.A. in Italy in September at the aforementioned Amateur World Cup with nine races being contested starting in Rome, continuing in Milan and concluding in Florence, Italy.
A total of 14 countries from around the world will be represented in this event while the Florida Amateur Driving Club and the Great Lakes Amateur Driving Association sponsoring the winning driver in the event.
(Florida Amateur Driving Club)