by john manzi
for NAADA
For
the second time in as many months members of the North American Amateur Drivers
Association (NAADA) will be traveling to Europe to again compete in an
International Friendship Competition this time against their counterparts from
Hungary. Races are slated at Kincsem Park in Budapest in early September.
“It’s
been over 25 years since NAADA has competed in Hungary, which by the way, was
the site of the World Cup of Amateur Racing last year,” noted NAADA president,
Joe Faraldo. “In those races Hannah Miller was the overall point leader until
the final day of competition when the Italian amateur finished just one point
better than her total. Still, a second place finish among the 12 participating
countries was the best showing ever by an American in the prestigious World Cup
of Amateur Racing."
Although
the upcoming races in Budapest can’t be compared to the World Cup events still
the participants are excited about the competition.
Those
competing for team USA will be Alan Schwartz (586 career wins), Peter Kleinhans
( 54 wins) Bob Davis (30 wins) and Paul Minore (89 wins) along with team
leader, Joe Faraldo (143 wins), who won three races abroad-- including
one at Vincennes in Paris-- when the Americans recently competed on European
soil in both France and Italy.
But
the Hungarians will be no pushover. Among their drivers is Andrea
Fazekas, one of the top amateurs in Hungary, and for that matter, in all of
Europe. (she is pictured here driving her father’s Ollyan Nincs winning a Free
For All trot at Kincsem Park)
Supplying
support for Ms. Fazekas in the upcoming Friendship Competition will
probably be Andrea Naqyvari, Tamas Bencze, Viktoria Kelemen, Sandor Hegedus,
and Tamas Tanczer
According to Budapest Trotting Association president Karog Kotun, they have a wonderful facility at Kincsem Park where there are three tracks; one at 1200 meters for the harness races, along with a dirt and turf course for the thoroughbreds.
Karoj and his team also have a fine website as does their
racetrack Kincsem Park: Action and/or further news can be followed
on the following webites
