On Wednesday, April 25th Zeke drove three
more winners on the Monticello Raceway card and now has 30 this season in just
168 starts.
Parker began the afternoon with a 2:03 triumph behind Luanne
Case’s pacer Casey’s Cam then followed it with a 1:59.1 victory with Ken
Weckstein’s Buck ID in the weekly winners/over trot. His hat trick came when
guided Diana Bartells’ Keystone Endurance home first in a time of 2:00.1.
In a career that began in his native Maine in the mid-1970’s
Maine and carried him victoriously throughout New England Parker won
driving titles everywhere he raced including, the now defunct Lewiston (Me.)
Raceway and Foxboro (Mass.)Raceway before becoming a fixture in Monticello.
Thus far Parker has amassed an amazing total of 10,652 driving
victories which currently ranks him seventh all-time in races won in North
America.
However, to really recognize the significance of Parker’s
lifetime totals, one must consider that all of Zeke’s wins came in an era when
driving at one track was the norm; unlike those of today who drive in the day
somewhere and then somewhere else in the evening, which only stands to reason
that the more times a driver goes to post the more races he’s apt to win.
Besides his 15 driving titles at the Mighty M along
with the aforementioned, Parker’s name was atop the local leaderboards
everywhere he raced and that’s including two championships at
Yonkers Raceway in the late 1990’s.
But Zeke will tell you he’s most proud of the nine wins on
the 10 race card at Monticello Raceway on October 20, 1996, which equaled the
record at that time.
Asked about his returning to action and if he has any
problems Parker is quick to quip: “I’m feeling really good and I’m happy doing
what I love to do; that is drive (harness) ‘hosses’,” he offered still with a
distinct Maine accent.”
