Hoosier Park’s 'Fab Five' are back in action. The five drivers will once again participate in the popular promotion at the track and raise money for their selected charities
along the way.
The original cast, Ricky Macomber, Jason Dillander, Joe Putnam, Mike Peterson, and Trace Tetrick, are primed for another solid meet and will once again be joined by the champion, Peter 'The Wolf' Wrenn, who was added to the promotion last season. Now in its third year, the Fab Five will once again face a new twist.
Three new drivers will join the cast and crew in 2011, featuring Trent Stohler, Josh Sutton and Brandon Bates in the role of the challengers. Each driver will participate in special events and promotions throughout the 80-day racing season and support their chosen cause through charitable work.
Stohler, a native of Markleville, Ind., has competed in all 18 seasons of racing at Hoosier Park. He is best known for his work with the standout pacing mare, Extreme Velocity, who earned in excess of $800,000 during her career and won the prestigious $288,000 Breeders Crown for older pacing mares in 1998 at the Meadowlands. Stohler is now enjoying success with Extreme Velocity's daughter, Ultimate Velocity, who just missed the track record for older pacing mares in 2010.
Tagged as 'The Bachelor,' Stohler is currently ranked fourth on the list of all-time leading trainers and is among the top 15 all-time drivers at Hoosier Park. He will lend his efforts to support St. John’s Children’s Clinic, located in Anderson, Ind. Sure to be a popular choice with all of the ladies, Stohler will head to the winner’s circle to the sounds of 'Girls, Girls, Girls.'
Also new to the Fab Five promotional scene in 2011 is Sutton, who earned a leading driver title at Hoosier Park in 2006. A fourth generation horseman hailing from Kentucky, he finished eighth in the standings last year and earned one of the biggest wins of his career behind Dark Alley Sally in the final of the $200,000 Indiana Sires Stakes. Sutton has eight leading driver titles to his credit from Maywood Park, Lebanon Raceway, Thunder Ridge Racecourse, the Red Mile, and Blue Grass Downs.
Known for his unpredictable personality and explosive passion to win races, Sutton will drive under the moniker of 'The Outlaw.' He will guide his horses into the winner’s circle to the tune of 'I Won’t Back Down,' and has chosen the Animal Protection League as his charity of choice. The organization places unwanted and homeless dogs and cats into the local penitentiary for prisoners to care for, serving as rehabilitation and training for both parties.
Brandon 'Big Ticket' Bates will add excitement to the Fab Five promotion. Not as well known as his fellow challengers, Bates brings a different angle to racing and is sure to gain a new fan base. His victories usually pay large dividends, which will give fans a reason to keep their eye on his purple and green colours.
A native of Ohio and a huge Ohio State fan, Bates oversees his own stable of horses and operates a training center in Warren, Ind. He added a unique accolade to his credentials last year with a world record win in the three-sixteenths-of-a-mile dash with Orlando Hall at Indiana Downs, completing the sprint in a time of :18.2 seconds.
Bates will raise funds for Second Harvest Food Bank, his selected charity of choice. He will be greeted with the sounds of Bon Jovi’s 'It’s My Life' as he enters the winner’s circle.
The challengers will join champion Wrenn and the Fab Five in the 'I Win, You Win' contest, held each Friday and Saturday throughout the meet. Each time one of the nine drivers wins a race, a name will be drawn to receive a $25 Hoosier Park gift card. Club Centaur membership is required to be eligible for the drawings and details are available at the Club Centaur Rewards Center located on the Terrace level.
Get ready for some strong competition to emerge as the celebrity drivers get in gear for the new 2011 racing season.
(Hoosier Park)