by Matthew Lomon

Hanover Raceway is no stranger to a busy offseason.

In 2024, the half-mile oval celebrated its 60th year in operation, underscoring its unquestioned position as a pillar of the quaint southwestern Ontario community.

On Saturday (May 31), Hanover will kick off its 61st season with the first of 15 race dates running weekly through Sept. 13 (excluding Aug. 9).

While not a milestone, the leadup to the upcoming campaign projects to be just as, if not more, eventful than the last.

In particular, the gutting and complete renovation of the old Playtime Casino has created new obstacles for general manager Scott Price and his team to work around.

“This year is a little different than past years,” said Price, who is entering his third full season leading the charge. “The old casino in the hall is under a major renovation. It’s being converted into a 480-person hall for events and gatherings. It’s been a bit of a challenge getting things off to a smoother start than years past because we’re dealing with that.”

The grandstand, which remains fully intact and unaltered by the casino makeover, stepped in as a short-term home for any project spillover.

“It’s not being interfered with, but because it’s physically attached to the hall, a lot of the stuff from the hall got moved into our grandstand for temporary storage over the winter,” Price said.

That, however, has not deterred the folks at Hanover from working diligently to deliver yet another memorable summer at 265 5th Street.

Staff have spent the past few weeks clearing the displaced items from the grandstand in order to have it ready for opening day, which Price reiterated it will be.

“I think we’re eagerly nervous at this point,” he said with a laugh. “We’re excited to get things up and rolling again. There’s a lot to get done but we’ll get there.”

Hanover’s GM also noted some upcoming on-track upgrades for 2025, including improvements to the surfacing and surrounding fencing.

All this is being taken care of from a provisional workspace located along the backstretch that Price and Co. have been operating out of while waiting on the construction of a new race office.

“We’ve been working in this space since about February of this year,” Price said. “Hopefully, with this revamped hall, we’ll be able to offer events that can coincide with race day, whether it be dinners, fundraisers, trade shows, conventions, etc.

“We’re a little ways away from that, but that’s an idea of the goal, which is to provide more opportunities for local businesses, and a place to go, because there isn’t a hall locally that can handle more than 100 people.”

Hanover continues to pull out all the stops in its 61st season, exploring fresh and energizing avenues for its patrons, both loyal and soon-to-be.

A prime example of this commitment comes in the form of a brand-new racing series, Drivers Coming Home.

Set for June 21, the locally grown event is a celebration of the top reinsmen who graduated to the Grand Circuit after honing their craft at Hanover.

The star-studded guest list includes Doug McNair, Bruce Richardson, Mark Etsell, Bob McClure, Trevor Henry, Scott Young, Jason Ryan, and Garrett Rooney.

An appearance from “The Money Man,” aka Scott Zeron, may also be in the cards depending on the in-demand driver’s schedule.

Should Zeron, who in 2023 became the third Canadian-born driver in the past 20 years to win U.S. Driver of the Year honors at the Dan Patch Awards, be unable to attend the big day, a pre-recorded interview will be shown on the track’s video and sound systems.

“We’re hoping to get two or three races with them, and then they’ll go into the grandstands to speak and sign some autographs,” Price said.

“We wanted to do something to pay tribute to the area, Hanover, and all of these drivers who got their start here. It’s nice to say that this is where they started, and now they’re racing at Mohawk, Scotty [Zeron] is down in the U.S., but these guys have made quite a career out of it. It’s cool that their roots were laid at this racetrack. This series pays homage to their success.”

Also returning from 10:30 to noon on June 21 is the track’s highly anticipated open house.

Price is hoping to not only build on the success of last year’s inaugural showing but draw attention to the open house as a vehicle for introducing more fans to what Hanover actually does.

“It’s funny, Hanover Raceway has been here for 60-plus years and there are still people in the area that didn’t really know what we do here,” Price said. “They see the field, we have some baseball diamonds in the center, but a lot of people didn’t know what we provided here as an entertainment center in the area.

“We decided to open it up for a full guided tour through our race office, the paddock, speak with the blacksmith, and take guests on a step-by-step tour — little stations we want to call it — and we found that worked out really well last year. We received a lot of positive feedback. People were surprised, ‘We didn’t even know this was here, we didn’t know you were doing this.’ It has brought a lot more attention and highlighted Hanover Raceway.”

Attracting extra eyes has long been Hanover’s mission, and something like an open house, while certainly a key cog in the operation, isn’t all there is to it.

Each week, fans have a different reason to get excited.

Whether it’s a visit from the Bill Galvin Racing Alliance and its virtual race bike on June 21, fan-favorite wiener dog races on June 14, three days of Young Gunz mini horse races (June 21, July 19, Aug. 30), eight Ontario Sires Stakes contests (starting with two Prospect Series tilts on July 5), or homegrown series like the Dream of Glory (elims on July 26, final on Aug. 2) and Balanced Image (elims on Aug. 16, final on Aug. 23), Hanover’s 2025 season doesn’t let up.

Days like the wiener dog races, which Price said rivalled last year’s Dream of Glory crowds, play a significant role in bringing people to the track, even if it may not seem like it to some.

With more faces in the crowd, comes more eyes on the racing product, and with that, Hanover can continue to serve its enduring duty as a community beacon.

“The sport itself is very important,” Price said. “For those who have been around, there’s a long-standing history here with deep-rooted ties in the community. We hire a lot of students over the summer and it’s amazing that people will come back in their adult years and say, ‘I used to work at Hanover Raceway when I was a teenager.’ The Raceway has given a lot back to the community in the way of employment.

“We do our best to sponsor local charities, events, parks, and related events. We’re always looking at ways to give back to the people giving us the support over the years because we do get a lot of local support.”

Support has been a central theme for Price throughout his tenure as general manager. From the community to staff to guests, the Hanover way always shines through.

“When you have the right people working around you it makes a real difference,” he said. “The racetrack isn’t about just one person. It’s about a group of people that work together to get things done. We have a phenomenal group of people here.

“I’ve also had a lot of support from our patrons. We have people that come faithfully every week, and you get to listen to their experiences. There are people, of all ages, that have been in harness racing for years. It’s always great to hear about their success and their time in the industry.”

First race post for opening day is 1:30 p.m.