First of 4 countries to challenge USA this year
by john manzi for NAADA
The North American Amateur
Drivers Association (NAADA) will host a contingent of their counterparts from
Hungary in an international Friendship Competition beginning in mid-April. It
will be the first of four European amateur organizations that NAADA will host
this season. Others who will be hosted by the Americans include include amateur
drivers from Spain, Italy and France.…..
“We (NAADA) raced against
our Hungarian friends last year and in 2004 we hosted them in America. However,
two years ago when Hungary was the site of the World Cup of Amateur Racing the
USA made its best showing in the prestigious competition when Hannah Miller,
after leading all the way, was out-pointed in the final race and was relegated
to second place finish in the 13-country competition of world class amateurs,”
noted NAADA president, Joe Faraldo.
The visiting Hungarians are
slated to arrive in the States on Sunday, April 15 with competitions set at
three different US racetracks during the upcoming week. On Monday, April 16 two
races are slated at Monticello Raceway and the following day one, maybe two
contests, at Yonkers Raceway. The final events of the Friendship Competition
will be at Saratoga Raceway on Thursday, April 19.
The Hungarians set to
compete at the Mighty M this coming Monday (April 16), and throughout the
entire competition, include: Andrea Fazekas, Viktoria Kelemen, Ferenc
Leanyfalvi, Krisztian Takacs, Andrea Nagyvary, and Tamas Tanczer.
However, the hometown
Americans will have a different team at each of the three venues. Driving for
the USA at Monticello will be Alan Schwartz,Tony Cuiffetelli, Paul Minore and
Monica Banca. At Yonkers Raceway the US team will consist of Joe Faraldo, Alan
Schwartz, Jennifer Lappe and Joe Lee. The NAADA team at Saratoga Raceway is yet
to be finalized
On Tuesday(April 17) the
visitors will be treated to a tour of the Intrepid Aircraft Museum and a walk
through Times Square along with a luncheon sponsored by NAADA member Peter
Kleinhans. In the evening the Hungarian and American drivers will battle
in a race, or two, at Yonkers Raceway.
Then on Wednesday (April 18)
it'll be off to Trot-Town USA with a visit to the Mark Ford Training Center in
the morning and after a fine luncheon the visitors will be afforded a tour of
Goshen Historic Track and the Harness Racing Museum and Hall of Fame.
On Thursday (April 19) the
international rivals will be vanned to Saratoga for a visit of the Historic
City of Saratoga Springs before a competition at Saratoga Raceway.
On Friday the visitors will
return home.
