by john manzi for NAADA
The North American Amateur Drivers Association is anxiously
awaiting for the rematch of the French/ American Amateur Friendship Challenge
in late May over the appropriate Memorial Day weekend holiday.
Appropriate because the first race will be in Normandy on French soil not
far from the famed beaches of World War ll.
The competition, which begins on May 26 in Nomandy,
will then move over to the fabled Vincennes racetrack outside the City of
Lights home of the Prix d’ Amerique. That event commemorates America's aid to
France in World War I.
At the time of the offer NAADA president Joe Faraldo
responded positively telling his French counterparts that Americans would field
a team of members who participated in NAADA 's Spring Trotting Series currently
nearing its completion. That series began in mid-March at Monticello
Raceway and will culminate with the Series finale slated for May 18 at
Yonkers Raceway.
After reviewing possible candidates NAADA canvassed
for available drivers willing to make the trip and named six American amateur harness
drivers who will travel to Paris and represent the USA in races with some real
talented French drivers, perhaps amateurs in name only.
Slated to join Faraldo for the upcoming USA-France
Friendship Competition are Alan Schwartz, Tony Verruso, Tony Ciufettelli, Bob
Davis and Peter Kleinhans.
On May 26 the visiting Americans are scheduled to
arrive in Paris and then leave directly to Normandy for a night in Caen, the
city severely ravaged in WWII but today a beautiful metropolis. Then the next
day they will visit the Memorial de Caen and Omaha Beach and Utah Beach.
On May28 the visitors will don their colors for a race
in Argentin with the next day free for visiting the wonders of Paris. A tour of
the fabulous Grosbois Training Center on the outskirts of Paris is slated on
May 30 and then it’ll be off to the races in Vincennes where the Americans will
get a chance to drive against their French counterparts over the famed race
course. On May 31 the Americans are scheduled to return home
“We will have a tough row to hoe to avenge the
terrible loss we sustained at the hands of the French when they visited the USA
two years ago, nevertheless we look forward to the challenge, and win or lose,
we will definitely enjoy all the locales, wine, food, the comradery and the
sincere hospitality shown us while in France".
