By john manzi for NAADA
For
the past few decades the North American Amateur Drivers Association (NAADA) has
been hosting amateur drivers from various countries in Europe and Down Under
and currently plans are being finalized by the amateur driving group for an
upcoming Friendship Competition against their counterparts from Italy.
Four veteran amateur drivers from Venice will
be coming in to challenge the NAADA members in a series of races at three
different American racetracks with races slated at Monticello Raceway (8-17),
Yonkers Raceway (8-18) and Tioga Downs on (8-19).
Those
who will be driving for team Italy include; Raffaello Ruffato (110 lifetime
wins), Giancarlo Moretti (55 wins), Roberto Michelotto (74 wins) and Zorzetto
Otello (462 wins). Coming along with the Italian amateur drivers is their club
representative, Luigi Cardin.
Although
the Italian team will be constant at all three venues NAADA will field a
different team at each racetrack.
“We
look forward to once again hosting our friends from the Venice area of Italy,”
said NAADA president, Joe Faraldo. “We were their guests in the past and we’ve
previously reciprocated by hosting them here in the States. We always have a
wonderful time although we usually end up on the short end the stick. But make
no mistake, we (NAADA members) will do our best to win this upcoming
competition. However, winning or losing is incidental, it’s the camaraderie
that is shared with these competitions that is the important thing.”
“We
have what we hope will be an entertaining visit for our Italian guests,
“Faraldo continued. “Tom Grossman will host the participants and sponsor a
luncheon at his Blue Chip Farm on Tuesday (8-16) and then the visitors will
tour Goshen Historic Track and enjoy the nearby Harness Racing Museum and Hall
of Fame.
“After
driving at Monticello Raceway on Wednesday (8-17) the visitors will make a stop
at the Bethel Woods Museum, the site of the original Woodstock Festival in
1969,” noted NAADA event coordinator, Alicia Schwartz, who was an integral part
of finalizing the agenda.
Along
the way Mrs. Schwartz says there will be a tour of the Mark Ford Training
Center, in Goshen, NY and shopping at the Woodbury Common Outlet Mall in
Central Valley, NY as well as great dinners at local area restaurants each
evening. Then on Saturday (August 20) the visiting Italians will be able to
explore and enjoy two days in greater New York City.
