During Batavia Downs’ Labour Day (September 5) card of racing, the highly anticipated annual drivers’ bike race was held.
For the third time in four years, Mickey Holliday was the winner, and he did it in convincing fashion, despite the high-80s temperatures that had everyone looking for shade.
A full field of eight drivers went postward, with their wheels front and back instead of left and right, on brand new cruising bikes to compete for bragging rights for the coming year. Patrick Galbraith, Rock Vinci, JD Perrin, Jimmy McNeight Jr., Mickey Holliday, Lee Dahn, Denny Buccerri and Drew Monti lined up behind the gate and when track announcer Joe Zambito said ‘go’ at the top of the far turn, the gate pulled away and it was a mad rush for the wire.
While Monti and McNeight both got away badly off the gate, the middle of the pack peddled fairly even until they straightened out at the head of the stretch. That is where Perrin opened up a three-length lead. Holliday got in gear and eventually drew even with Perrin. The two then separated themselves from the field by at least 15 lengths. They battled it out until about 50 feet from the wire when Holliday simply out-legged Perrin to win by an open length.
After the race, Holliday summed up the experience by saying "(drawing breathes)...I'm tired!" Holliday then drew eight winners at random from the crowd of 3,000 fans who attended the afternoon's festivities and they were awarded the eight bikes used in the race.
The annual bike race has been a part of the Batavia Downs Labour Day matinee since 1979 and was sponsored by Craze Cheap Cars of Oakfield, New York.
(Batavia Downs -- Photos courtesy of Paul White)