Amateur Driver of Year

Dein Spriggs, who conquered the amateur driving circuit this season, winning awards and establishing records, has been named the Amateur Driver of 2005.



For the past decade the United States Harness Writers Association (USHWA) has annually chosen the nation’s most outstanding amateur driver. A committee, headed by the president of USHWA and the president of the Delvin Miller Amateur Drivers Association along with the president of the North American Amateur Drivers Association, had to choose just one from hundreds of drivers who compete in the amateur ranks.



And after reviewing countless statistics of all the leading candidates, the committee again declared Dein Spriggs the National Amateur Driver of the Year, marking two consecutive seasons that he has been bestowed such honors. Spriggs now joins Mal Burroughs as the only two-time national winner.



After the 24th season of the C.K.G. Billings Amateur Driving Series ended in late November, Spriggs returned home to Florida where he’s been competing regularly at Pompano Park, in both amateur events and against the professionals. Currently at Pompano Park he has driven three winners in nine attempts and when added to his seasonal statistics he now has reined 28 winners in 74 starts and he carries a hefty .503 universal driving average.



Spriggs, 46, a real estate investor from Jupiter, Fla., not only won the Billings Series combined points total and Midwest Region points championship, but he was also victorious in the $40,000 Delvin Miller Memorial Gold Cup Championship at the Meadowlands in late November, which capped a memorable season for the amateur reinsmen.



Besides winning the Gold Cup Final, Spriggs’ 161 points in the Billings Midwest region was tops and his 161 points also led the Combined Points Championship.



When told that he was again cited as National Amateur Driver of the Year, Spriggs was thrilled. “I love it...it couldn’t be better. Two years in a row. Can you imagine that?� he chimed excitedly and then added that he has been invited to race in Germany this coming spring against European amateurs. “It doesn’t get any better that this.,� he said.

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