Kennedy, Pozaic gets things started at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono - Scranton Times-Tribune
— The 1994 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham ramps up, exceeding speeds of 30 miles per hour. and Jim Kennedy, in a reverse-positioned backseat so he can see what is following behind. What Kennedy sees from that backseat, less than a car-length away: Nine pacing horses and their drivers. “It’s unbelievable the way they come at you and the speed they can go,” said Kennedy, the starter at The Downs at Mohegan Sun Pocono. The sound is deafening and the view is fantastic, as Kennedy’s eyes practically lock with the horses just feet away. Then as the horses and their drivers gradually catch up, the ’94 Cadillac guns it in the area of 45 miles per hour to get out of the way as the race officially begins. Anyone who has recently attended a race at The Downs is sure to have seen the vehicle in question, as it is the starting gate at the racetrack. In May, he was at his Florida home when he received a call from Vice President of Racing at The Downs Dale Rapson. Kennedy’s job entails using his judgment in controlling the speed of the vehicle with the throttle from his backseat. He also drops down the wings of the starting gate, attached at each side of the vehicle, to get the horses in line. Then as the race officially begins, the wings of the starting gate fold up and Pozaic takes over and steers to. Source: thetimes-tribune.com
