Western New York native Jeff Gregory gets his turn on Wednesday night to drive for charity and take a shot at the $10,000 winner-take-all prize in week seven of Batavia Downs' All-Star Drivers' challenge.
The 42-year-old Gregory grew up in Churchville, NY, about 20 minutes from Batavia. He won his first race at Buffalo Raceway in 1984.
Since then he's won over 5,641 races and his drives have earned over $46 million. This season Gregory has won 346 races, which ranks him 18th in all of North America.
His career highlights include winning the $750,000 Hambletonion Oaks with Jalopy in 2005. In 2002 he won the $338,000 Yonkers Trot with Bubba Dunn. He's won several New York Sires Stakes finals, including this year with talented freshman trotter Donttellmywife.
Canada's Jody Jamieson currently leads the eight-week drivers challenge with 35 points.
The challenge is an eight-race competition in which participating drivers start from the rail in race one and move out one post-position each race. Drivers receive 9 points for a win, 5 points for a second, 3 points for a third, 2 points for a 4th and 1 point for a fifth place finish. If a drive is scratched they receive two points.
The All-Star Drivers which doubles as a fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Coalition of Rochester (BCCR) concludes next Wednesday, October 29 with Jason Bartlett, recently named to represent the United States in the 2009 World Driving Championship, in town to drive.
So far over $10,000 has been raised for the BCCR through sponsorship of races, donation of participating drivers 5% commission and a silent auction.
(Batavia Downs)