Driver Hunter Myers has seen his star rise greatly on the Ohio circuit in recent years. The soon-to-be 24-year-old (Feb. 16) has increased his wins and earnings each year since 2018 and while it's early in the year, Myers sits second in North America behind Aaron Merriman in wins and is on pace to double his 2021 earnings total. An Ohio native with generational involvement with Standardbreds, Myers competes regularly at Northfield Park and The Meadows. On a rare day off, he took the time to chat about his career to date and how to get more young people to participate. How did you get started in harness racing? I grew up in it. My mom and dad grew up in it and it's a family business.  Was your father Michael the first in your family to be involved? No. His grandparents and his uncle were both involved. The whole side of his family was in it as trainers and everything. It seems like your dad participated in harness racing part-time. Was there ever a chance you wouldn't be a driver? For the longest time he worked a full-time job and trained horses also. There were countless nights when he'd would get off of work we would go to Scioto Downs or Lebanon and race at night. I always figured I wanted to be some part of it. The more I got older, training horses and being at the barn more, I kind of wanted to take my swing at being a driver. You won your first race in 2014 at age 16. Does that moment still stick out on your mind? When I think about it, it was a long time ago, but it was the first of over 1,000 wins now. It was the start of my career as a driver. It is always tough to get the first one out of the way. Family aside, who has played the biggest role in your driving career? Some of the people I've worked for, like Jim Pollock Jr., who is a good friend of ours. There have been a lot of drivers that helped me out when I first started. Jack Dailey was my go-to guy at the fairs from when I was 16 to 18. We would talk and joke around.  What kind of car do you drive? I have a 2020 Ford Fusion that I basically live in because of all the traveling I do and a 2017 F350 Super Duty that I use if I have to take a race bike to another track. How many miles do you put on the car each week? I think it is about 1,200 a week. Favorite dinner meal? Snack? Steak; Pizza rolls. What is your favorite track to race at? Why? I like my halves [half-mile tracks], but while I've only been there a few times to race, I would say The Red Mile. I like the clay and the scenery of being there.  What is your favorite big event in racing? Why? I know everybody, especially Ohio guys, say it but the Little Brown Jug. I love the atmosphere, that everyone is there and it is a whole week of nice horses. You can feel the energy of the people and be there with all of the other drivers, getting caught up talking about things. I like watching the Hambletonian and I think that is always something I'd love to be in, but being an Ohio guy the goal is always to be in the Jug. How often are horses or racing on your mind? Pretty much every day. Even if I'm on vacation, I might not think about it for a little bit of time, but sooner or later it's on my mind and I want to get back in the swing of racing.  What is your favorite thing to do outside of harness racing? I try to go home and trail ride with my buddies. We have side by side RZRs. What is your favorite sport to watch? Team? I don't watch a lot of sports but if I had to choose one, football and Ohio State. What is one thing about you most fans/bettors don't know? I'm a handyman. If you give me some time I can fix anything. My dad was a mechanic for 17 years. He worked on houses and stuff, so I kind of followed along with him. ► Sign up for our FREE DRF Harness Digest Newsletter Every time you bring up your dad I wonder, what was it like to grow up as Michael Myers, the prime character from the Halloween film series? It's funny you said that because Ronnie Wrenn Jr, when my dad is at Northfield with horses to race, especially when it gets around October, he always makes some remark about it. What is one word that describes harness racing for you? Exciting. What is the best advice you've ever gotten or given about harness racing? Every day is a new day. If you have a bad day or night of racing, get past it. Tomorrow is a new day to restart and do the best you can. What was your best moment in harness racing? My first Sire Stakes win last year with Smothastenesewisky for Brian Haynes. In May 2020 you were involved in an accident at Northfield where you fractured both sides of your jaw. Does an accident like that put any perspective on what you do for a living? No. It didn't really bother me. I'm not saying being in an accident isn't a big deal in my eyes, because it is, but it's like the old saying, when you get knocked down you have to get back up. You can't let something like that get in the way of what you love doing or your job. You are coming off a career year in which you won 349 races and just over $3.2 million in purse money and you're on pace to double those numbers in 2022. Is this the natural progression of your career? At the end of the year I always say to myself next year I want it to be better. I'm driving at The Meadows now, doing doubleheaders along with Northfield. I want to say yeah, I'm getting older and getting better and more horses to drive. Despite fewer starts you are hot on the heels of perennial leading driver Aaron Merriman in wins this year. Can you give him a run for the money in the dash wins category? I'd like to, that is the goal. It would be great. I always like a little competition; it's motivating to me. We'll see how the year goes. Ronnie Wrenn told me one day at Northfield, 'No more messing around. I want full effort this year.' I told him, 'You got it!' Do you see yourself as having a physical or mental advantage as a 23-year-old over a guy like Merriman who is 43 and has been going through the grind for years? With the age difference, he might be thinking of slowing down and I want to go, go, go. So, yeah, from that perspective maybe.  What are your career aspirations? Do you see yourself sticking in Ohio or eventually trying the Grand Circuit route? You have to see where the wind takes you. If I stay in Ohio, I won't be upset about it as long as everything is going well, but I'd like to dip my toes into some Grand Circuit drives. Which is the best horse you've ever driven? Right now there is a mare for Sam Schillaci named Adorabella. She races in the Open. She's a small horse but she gives 110% effort every time she races. Smothastenesewisky is one that stands out because I won a couple of stallion stakes as a 2-year-old and in the Sire Stakes at 3. She liked to win off the pace and I like off the pace more than the front. To me it is more of an adrenaline rush. My dad had a trotter named Simmy that was a butterball and wasn't much of a leaver, but he tried 100% and loved to chase horses. He was always fun to drive and if you had him in the right spot, he made it worth it. If you had the power to change one thing in the sport, what would it be? I would get more people involved and have more fans at the racetrack, like how it used to be. I remember growing up and going to Scioto Downs and having to pay $2 just to get in.  Is it possible to get more people out to the track? I hope so. I'm not the guy that is going to say nothing is possible, but you just have to see how the sport goes from year to year. How do you view the future of harness racing? I hope it keeps getting better and we get more horses. I just hope, like I like at myself, that every year in progresses and we take things that we see are a problem the year before and we make it better than it was. As a 23-year-old participant in the sport, how do we get more young people interested in harness racing? That's a really good question. You can't be afraid to work, nothing is handed to you in this business, that's for sure, but if we can get younger people into the barns working with the horses they will understand the passion that people that have for racing and training horses. That is the key to getting younger generations involved.  Time for the stretch drive... Best Horse you ever saw: Foiled Again is a GOAT. I've seen him and I worked for [Ron] Burke in the Ohio barn a couple of years ago.  Lasix -- Yes or No?: Yes. I do think it helps horses. Favorite TV Show?: Letterkenny Trotters or Pacers?: Trotters Favorite Podcast: Theo Vaughn.