Dein Spiggs is no stranger to the winner's circle, but he has not been up close and personal to it in the US’ largest state since 2006.
Dein appeared in five races in the inaugural version of the East vs. West Amateur Driving Challenge, finishing with a win, a second and a third --- not a bad showing, and he has been anxious to continue his strong performance since then.
Bob Krivelin is making his first appearance to the Golden State. So, while he is a left-coast rookie, Krivelin cozied up to the circle of champions 13 times in 69 races in 2012, sporting a 325 UDR on his way to being named Amateur Driver of the Year. It has rumored that the Mamas and the Papas' 'California Dreamin' has invaded his mind, causing him great sleep deprivation since being named to the eastern squad. He anticipates a win at Cal-Expo will erase the ever-looping tune.
On April 12 and 13, these two are hoping to redeem the prowess of their talents as part of the eighth annual East-West Amateur Driving Challenge, which will take place at Cal-Expo in Sacramento, California. They will be joined by father and daughter teammates, George Bonomo and Michele Ruvola.
Dein Spriggs drove in his first race at the fairs of Pennsylvania at age 16. In 1998, Spriggs joined the Delvin Miller Harness Drivers Association. After an uneventful racing start in the late '80s and early '90s, Dein came through with a three-year stretch of gold. That is, he made it to the Billings Gold Cup Final with two first-place finishes and one second-place finish in 2004, 2005, and 2006. He won the Tim Fouts Memorial in both 2002 and 2011 while representing the Florida Amateur Driving Club, where he currently presides as the president. Dein's family members that share his passion for racing include father William (Bill) and brother Steve. Steve was a well known California harness driver in the late 1970s and 1980s. To help support Dein’s love of harness racing, he has worked as a private real estate investor and consultant for over 27 years.
Bob 'Rapid Rail' Krivelin, is so named for driving his own filly, Rapid Rail, to an elimination victory in the 2003 Hambletonian Oaks and a second-place finish in the final. Krivelin learned horsemanship under the guidance of some of the top trainers in the sport, travelling to the Meadowlands to train every day starting in 1995. He was named Amateur Driver of the Year in 2001 and again in 2012. He is the owner of Woolco Foods, a wholesale food distribution company which serves the five New York City boroughs. Bob lives in the cradle of harness racing in Goshen, where he owns several horses which train at Goshen Historic Track.
When asked to comment, Dein said this about the upcoming races: “This is my second trip to Cal-Expo and I cannot tell you how well they treat us. I have travelled all around the east and mid-west to race in one or two races on the card in the Billing series, and often they are non-wagering races. Here, I am thrilled to race in eight races over the two nights. This is such a great concept and I sure hope that racing out west continues so other Billings drivers can share in what I have been able to enjoy. I know last year Tony (Verruso) promised a win. I won’t go quite that far, but I love the track and feel confident in a good showing.”
(East-West Amateur Driving Challenge)