(Pictured is Mickey Holliday winning the 2015 drivers' bike race at Batavia Downs.)
By Tim Bojarski, for Batavia Downs
A tradition that started in 1979 continues on Monday (Sept. 5) during the Labor Day matinee extravaganza at Batavia Downs and that is, the annual drivers' bike race. This “friendly” competition between the horsemen features eight local drivers who will line up at the quarter pole and make their way around the far turn and head for the wire.
Last year’s winner was Mickey Holliday who won with a strong stretch drive. Holliday will be back to defend his title against some new faces as well as some cagey veterans. But the best part is the fans get to win the actual brand new bikes used in the race.
You must sign-up in the Paddock Room between noon and 2:45 p.m to be eligible. Each patron can put their entry in one of eight boxes; each coinciding with a driver in the race. Then from the winning driver’s box, eight winners will be randomly drawn and each will be given one of the bikes the drivers used. The bike race will be held after the seventh harness race and the drawing for the bikes after the bike race has been declared official.
There is no purchase necessary but you must be at least 18 years old to enter and you mist be present to win.
The bike race is sponsored by Crazy Cheap Cars, of Oakfield,
Click this link for a video of last year’s race. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9l_rbJ9yhR4 )
Here is the line-up of drivers competing in the 2016 Invitational:
Post -Driver
1 -- Patrick Galbraith
2 -- Rock Vinci
3 -- JD Perrin
4 -- Jimmy McNeight Jr.
5 -- Mickey Holliday
6 -- Brad Jackson
7 -- Denny Bucceri
8 -- Drew Monti
Also featured on the Labor Day card are $1 Sahlen’s hot dogs, draft beer and soda on the track apron from noon to 4 p.m. And in the Clubhouse from noon-3:30 p.m. you can enjoy a $10.95 chicken bar-b-que provided by the Center Street Smoke House, of Batavia. And with each dinner you buy you will receive $10 worth of free play on the gaming floor, so it’s almost like eating for free!
And of course there are 13 live harness races scheduled to start at 1:15 p.m.
