When Monticello Raceway presents its fifth annual Mayflower Pace, a race limited to drivers of British heritage on the afternoon of Monday, June 28, newcomer Brandon Simpson will be among the drivers participating
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Last year while driving exclusively in the midwest Simpson made 295 trips to the winner's circle after having reined 268 winners during the 2008 campaign.
A few months ago Simpson came east and brought with him a world of talent and over 1,000 career driving victories. Though he started out slowly his abilities have been noticed by the local trainers not only here at the Mighty M but many other racetracks in the northeast.
“We’re really glad to have Brandon here with us. He adds a lot to our already solid driving colony,” said Shawn Wiles, Monticello Raceway’s Assistant General Manager. "He’s a fine young man and can drive a horse with the best of them.”
Simpson has made the Mighty M his home base where he has thus far reined 45 winners and is in the top 10 on the local leaderboard. In all, the 29-year-old driver has driven 66 winners this season and will certainly add to his totals before season’s end.
“When you’re new it takes a while to be noticed but now it seems that I might be on my way,” the soft-spoken, respectful youngster told the Mighty M publicity office the other day. “I really like it here [on the east coast] and they go for good money, too. And the beauty of where I’m living at now is that I can travel to five or six tracks in less than an hour.”
One of Simpson’s biggest wins thus far came on June 18 when he drove the Mark Ford-trained Pembroke Player to a 1:57.3 victory in a $37,000 Preferred Trot at Yonkers Raceway.
Asked if he plans to go back home to Illinois this winter he didn’t hesitate for a moment and said with a smile, "I plan on staying around a while.”
But Simpson isn’t the only talent in the Mayflower Mile, which is the sixth leg of Monticello Raceway’s Heritage Drivers Series. The field will be loaded with the tracks top drivers. Last year’s winner, Zeke Parker, will be looking to defend his championship. Besides Simpson, Parker will also have to contend the likes of Bruce Aldrich Jr., Jordan Stratton, and Greg Merton.
The winner of the Mayflower Mile will join the other preliminary legs winners in a series finale dubbed The All-America Pace, which will be presented her in early October.
(Monticello Raceway)