Western Fair Raceway has proudly announced the addition of three horsemen whose careers have been synonymous with Western Fair to the prestigious Wall of Fame, the highest honour bestowed by the racetrack
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Ross Battin, Don McElroy and Terry Kerr are three of the most successful drivers in Ontario over the past three decades and all have special ties with Western Fair. Each horseman started their careers at the London, Ontario half-miler and have made it their home base for many years while also competing at numerous other tracks across the province.
“Western Fair is very pleased to honour the accomplishments of Ross Battin, Terry Kerr and Don McElroy with their induction onto our Wall of Fame,” said Western Fair Chief Executive Officer Hugh Mitchell.
“This level of recognition is reserved for those whose achievements at Western Fair Racetrack are extraordinary. The addition of these three talented horsemen to our coveted Wall of Fame will ensure that all are aware of their exemplary contributions to our racing product.”
Battin, Kerr and McElroy have represented Western Fair admirably in many drivers’ competitions over the years and have also shown their talent while competing all every provincial racetrack in the Ontario Sires Stakes, the most lucrative and competitive sires stakes program in North America.Their dominance in the OSS is shown by the number of times they have won the Lampman Cup which is awarded to the top driver in the OSS each year.
Terry Kerr captured the inaugural Lampman Cup in 1987 and gained another trophy in 1991. McElroy has also won the Lampman on two occasions, while Battin has captured it an incredible seven times, more than any other driver.
The awards have also been numerous for the trio on their home turf. Don McElroy has taken the Driver of the Year title at Western Fair a total of seven times, Kerr’s name appears on that trophy five times and he was also named Horseman of the Year in 1981. Ross Battin has been named Driver of the Year a total of four times in addition to being named Horseman of the Year in 1992.
Western Fair’s signature race is the Molson Pace and Ross Battin, Don McElroy and Terry Kerr all have their names on that trophy as the winning drivers. McElroy has captured the prestigious event three times with Armbro La Bamba, Hogans Heroes and Intrepid Seelster. Kerr and Battin each have one Molson Pace win to their credit, Kerr with Park Place and Battin with Cams Fortune.
The three drivers are among the top drivers in North America in terms of races won lifetime. Combined they have visited winner’s circles more than 15,000 times. Kerr has over 6,700 life wins, Battin 4,600 and McElroy over 4,000. On the all time races won list of drivers in Canada and the US, Kerr currently sits in 35th spot, Battin 94th and McElroy 135th.
Don McElroy, Ross Battin and Terry Kerr are all approximately the same age, they all started their driving careers in the same era and all have been great ambassadors and stars for Western Fair Raceway. It seemed only fitting that the three should share the honour of induction into the Wall of Fame at the same time. The induction will take place on Wednesday, May 26 during that evening’s race card.
(Western Fair Raceway)