Charity chariots return to Hoosier

Following a successful kickoff with the Fab Five drivers in 2009, Charity Chariots is back at Hoosier Park Racing & Casino. The event will get underway Saturday, June 19, allowing racing fans to experience a seat behind a real racehorse. Fans will take a spin around the seven-eighths mile oval at the Anderson, Ind. track prior to the first race post time of 5:30 p.m.

Charity Chariots will be conducted by members of the Fab Five along with The Challenger, Peter “The Wolf” Wrenn, who is a winner of more than 8,000 career races and Hoosier Park’s leading driver for the second straight year. All drivers will donate their time from 4 p.m. until 5 p.m. to escort guests around the track in double-seated jog carts. A fee of $20 is charged for each ride. All proceeds go directly to the driver’s selected charity.

One new aspect this season for Charity Chariots is the age limit. Guests 12 years of age and older will now be permitted to ride. Riders under the age of 18 will be required to have a release signed by a parent or guardian in attendance before being allowed to participate in the event. Some restrictions apply and Hoosier Park retains the right to restrict participation.

Held out of the Grandstand Paddock, Charity Chariots registration begins at 3:45 p.m. near the winner’s circle. The event will be held on a first come, first served basis and will be conducted weather permitting.

The Fab Five and Wrenn each chose charities that have significant meaning to them.  They are invested for personal reasons with their selections and have cumulatively already raised more than $3,500 this year through various fundraising efforts.

To date, Fab Five Driver Mike Peterson leads the way for his cause, Shriner’s Hospital for Children, with $1,700. He pulled in $700 during Hoosierdega Nights Saturday, April 24, an evening dedicated to different types of horsepower. He earned money from both the celebrity driving race and his first place finish in the go-kart race. Peterson added another $1,000 to his tally over Memorial Day Weekend, winning a division of the pie-eating contest.

True Blue Joe Putnam is a close second with $1,600 for Outfitters, Inc. A winner of more than 2,800 career races, Putnam earned $600 during Hoosierdega Nights and added another $1,000 to his tally as the winner of the first round of the pie-eating contest.

Other drivers and their totals for their organizations in 2010 include Jason Dillander with $1,200 for the American Cancer Society, Trace Tetrick with $1,100 for DARE, Ricky Macomber with $1,050 for the Indiana School for the Deaf, and Wrenn with $700 brought in for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Last year, Macomber raised the most money through Charity Chariots for the Indiana School for the Deaf, pulling in $1,190.

Charity Chariots will continue through the remaining four Saturdays during the 2010 Standardbred meet, which concludes Sunday, July 11. A group of horses that are currently stabled and racing at Hoosier Park will be utilized during Charity Chariots. Selected for the event include Harvy from the Peterson barn, Leon’s Gambit from Jarrod Duncan’s Stable, West Edge Lonesome, trained by Randy Hatton, Parklane Sue from the Gary Frye barn, and Tanner Monroe, who is making his second appearance in Charity Chariots under the direction of Trainer Tom Hall. (Hoosier)

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