Remember the infamous Michigan Race Fixing Scandal which broke out a couple of years ago? Last August I wrote a column saying I suspected the case was unraveling and this January, I wrote something seemed fishy regarding the scandal. Well, after checking the entries on the USTA website, we see two of the drivers suspended in the alleged case have resumed driving. Don Currier Jr. has resumed driving, albeit in qualifying races at Hazel Park and over at Freehold Raceway, Art McIlmurray has resumed driving in wagering events. The status of the others allegedly named in the scandal remains unknown.
For all the fanfare in announcing the discovery of this alleged 'large conspiracy', it has been amazingly quiet since then; not even an announcement indicating these two drivers have been given permission to resume their careers. Has the case died? These two drivers exonerated? What is the status of this whole scandal? Nothing is being said.
It makes one wonder if the Michigan Casino Gaming Board (MCGB) made a mountain out of a mole hill or was unable to make a case. Could this have been part of a politically motivated witch hunt? After all, it wouldn't be the first time an overzealous prosecutor tried to make a name for themselves by nailing a named personality. Don't forget Governor Jennifer Granholm was busy devastating the racing industry by getting rid of and transferring the responsibility of the racing commission to the MCGB, a board more interested in regulating casinos and slashing the number of race dates (for all breeds).
Time for the MCGB to come clean. What is the status of the investigation? If some drivers and others have been exonerated by the MCGB, they have a responsibility to publicly clear them. The MCGB owes it to those caught in their net wrongly; they owe it to the industry.
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