Two years ago, James MacDonald was leading Clinton Raceway’s annual drivers’ challenge heading into the final race when Trevor Henry pulled off a last-second victory.
MacDonald got his revenge a year ago, winning his first title with a decisive victory over Jody Jamieson. Henry was third.
This Sunday (May 31) the trio, along with five other top reinsmen, will suit up against each other again as the 35th annual Drivers Challenge hits the track in support of the Clinton branch of the Royal Canadian Legion.
“Legions are having a tough time financially across the province. Every cause is a good one, but we think this will be a nice tie-in for us,” said Clinton Raceway General Manager Ian Fleming.
Though it’s a fun, relaxed atmosphere in which all proceeds of the day, including the drivers’ fees, will go to the Legion, MacDonald said the drivers don’t take the competition lightly.
“Everyone’s really competitive,” he said. “You put a bunch of egos in together and one’s a winner and you’re going to get people trying pretty hard. There’s no favours there, that’s for sure.”
Henry, a finalist for the O’Brien Award for Canada’s driver of the year in 2014, said pride is on the line.
“It’s always nice to have the bragging rights,” Henry said, “But it’s just a lot of fun. It’s a good day out.”
The Drivers Challenge will pit Clinton’s top three drivers of 2014 — Henry, Ryan Holliday and Bruce Richardson — against MacDonald, Jamieson, Doug McNair and Mike Saftic from the Woodbine Entertainment Group circuit and Canada’s leading dash winner, Alfie Carroll, who turned 30 in early May, and is leading the nation with nearly 200 wins already in 2015.
For the first time in its long history, the Drivers Challenge is being held at the beginning, rather than at the end of the season, to make room for the eighth edition of Clinton Raceway’s bi-annual Legends Day classic that will close out the track’s 16-race season on September 6 in support of the Clinton Public Hospital.
Henry, long the king of Ontario’s smaller tracks and now a regular fixture on the WEG circuit, said he’s a big fan of Clinton Raceway.
“It’s just good to go there and give back to the town of Clinton,” Henry said. “They do a lot of good there. It’s a good town and a nice track and a good spot.”
MacDonald said he likes making the trip to Clinton because the Drivers Challenge usually draws a huge crowd and, “the people there seem to appreciate it and they put on a good show.”
MacDonald currently ranks a close second on Canada’s driver earnings list with over $1.35 million in purses banked in 2015. McNair is a close third ($1.23 million), following by Henry in fifth ($1.09 million), Jamieson in sixth ($980,000) and Carroll in eighth ($890,000).
In the wins department, after Carroll, McNair currently ranks sixth in the nation with 90 wins, followed by MacDonald in seventh (88) and Henry tied for ninth (80).
The eight reinsmen participating in the Drivers Challenge have more than 26,300 career wins between them and combined career earnings of around $300 million.
(Clinton Raceway)