Dobson has lead in competitive Mighty M drivers' chase

Sure, it’s a long way to the end of the 2010 racing season at Monticello Raceway, but if the battle for leading driver continues like it did during the first month of the year it promises to be a barn-burner. Early during the month of January--on Jan. 14 to be exact--and after he had a five-bagger, Billy Dobson was quoted as saying, "I’m going to try to be the leading driver at Monticello Raceway this year,” which may have made him fair game on the racetrack.

 

However, after that date Dobson kept winning races in bunches and he led the driving colony for the first month of the 2010 season. But as he well knows, there are plenty of racing dates still to be completed before the curtain comes down on this season.

 

It’s true that Dobson is a talent in the sulky. The 25-year-old reinsman won 290 races last year and already has 42 under his belt this season and currently is atop the leaderboard here at the Mighty M.

 

But Dobson will have his work cut out for him on trying to become the Mighty M’s leading driver this season. Oh, not from a lack of talent, but from stiff competition on the racetrack from the likes of Billy “Zeke” Parker Jr., Bruce Aldrich Jr. and Greg Merton, all former Mighty M driving champs. When you add Jordan Stratton, Mike Forte and Jimmy Marohn Jr. into the fray, it could be said that Monticello Raceway has as good a driving colony as it ever did, and as good as many of the racetracks in North America.

 

As February dawned, Dobson had 33 wins, Aldrich had 27, Parker had 22 and Merton 17. On the first day of February Aldrich won four races, Parker two, Merton two and Dobson one. Heading into Groundhog’s Day Dobson leads the driving colony with 34 wins, three more than Aldrich’s 31. Parker is currently third with 24 and Merton’s 19 ties him for fourth with Forte.

 

Last season Parker recorded his 14th driving title at Monticello Raceway with 399 seasonal victories. Aldrich, who won one title during the past decade, finished the previous 10 years as the driver with the most wins here (2,353) during the first decade of the 21st century. (Monticello)