On the afternoon of Tuesday, June 23, Monticello Raceway will present the sixth leg of its Heritage Drivers Series. Dubbed ‘the Mayflower Mile,’ all participating drivers can trace their heritage — either on the dad’s or mom’s side — back to jolly old England, or at least to a country in the United Kingdom.
However, after the Mayflower Mile there will still be two Heritage Drivers Series legs to be presented. ‘The Munich Mile,’ slated for July 30, is for drivers of German heritage. It will be followed on August 26 by 'the Godfather Pace’ for drivers of Italian descent.
The winners of these contests will join the winners of each of the previous Heritage Drivers Series legs in a finale which will be called ‘the All-America Cup’ and raced during the fall season.
The drivers that have already earned a berth in the All-America Cup via their triumphs in a previous series leg include Jim King Solomon (Dr. Martin Luther King Pace), Doreen Dailey (Lady Godiva Pace), Jimmy Marohn, Jr. (St. Paddy Pace), Peter Lutman III — his mom was Jewish — (Passover Pace), and Stephane Bouchard (Maple Leaf Pace).
The eight participants in the Mayflower Mile are all seasoned veterans. The track's director of Racing, Eric Warner, is expecting a great competition.
“Some of our leading drivers can trace their roots back to the UK, and perhaps drivers whom you may never think of as being part British,” Warner said.
Warner was undoubtedly referring to both Bruce Aldrich, Jr. and Kyle DiBenedetto, whose mothers were of English extraction.
Others that have some English blood in their veins that will be joining Aldrich and DiBenedetto in the Mayflower Mile include Billy Parker, Jr., Greg Merton, Gary Messenger, Chuck Poynton, Gerry Fielding and Gareth Dowse.
The Mayflower Mile has been slated as Race 6 on the 13-dash card.
First race post time is 1:10 p.m.
(With files from Monticello)