The Maritime League of Legends Tour heads to Riverside International Speedway this Saturday for the seventh round of the 2018 season. The Celtic Air Services 50 is the second stop for the series to the high banked oval and is a part of the NASCAR Pinty’s Series Bumper to Bumper 300 weekend. Qualifying races for the Celtic Air Services 50 will take place at 4:30 pm with the 50-lap feature going green at 6:15 pm on Saturday evening.
Point leader Shelby Baker (Fall River, NS) kept his point lead intact with a fourth-place run at Scotia Speedworld during the Farrell’s Excavating Limited 50. The top five finish was Baker’s fifth in six races with the only “blemish” on his point tally coming at Riverside International Speedway in July. Baker will look to put that behind him as he searches for his first Maritime League of Legends victory on the year Saturday in the Celtic Air Services 50.
Emily Meehan (Rawdon, NS) was able to chip three points off Baker’s point advantage last Saturday. Meehan leads a close pack including three-time feature winner on the year Craig MacDonald (Waverley, NS) and Fleet Brake Atlantic Rookie contender Sam Roger (Lower Onslow, NS). Meehan sits 27 points out of the lead but only eight points ahead of MacDonald and ten points up on Rogers with four races remaining in the year.
Michael Cormier (Grand-Barachois, NB) enters the Celtic Air Services 50 not only fifth in overall points but the leader by a wide margin in the Fleet Brake Atlantic Rookie of the Year chase. With Rogers missing the two races at Scotia Speedworld, it has allowed Cormier to build a 156 point advantage with just four races to go. Nathan Blackburn (Timberlea, NS) sits third in the freshman standings. Blackburn will enter the Celtic Air Services 50 looking to build on his best career Legend Tour finish of second from last week at Scotia Speedworld.
The Farrell brothers, Waylon and Will, are both pre-registered for Saturday’s 50-lap event. Waylon, the two time and reigning Series champion, was well in contention at Riverside in July before running out of fuel late in the feature. Will has had some strong runs as of late and with Riverside being one of his best tracks statistically, fans should keep an eye on the No. 31 Farrell’s Excavating Limited car Saturday.
Austin MacDonald (Pictou, NS), grandson of Maritime racing legend Rollie MacDonald, will make his racing return to the Maritimes with his Maritime League of Legends Tour debut at the Celtic Air Services 50. MacDonald has spent his summer racing “down south” with a focus on the Bojangles’ Summer Shootout at the Charlotte Motor Speedway and Thursday Thunder at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. After success in racing’s heartland, MacDonald returns to apply his lessons learned Saturday at Riverside International Speedway.
A number of Maritime League of Legends Tour drivers that are currently not pre-registered for the event are expected to make the haul to compete in the Celtic Air Services 50. Josh Langille (Coldbrook, NS), Kyle Shipley (Spryfield, NS) and hometown favorite Kevin MacDonald (Antigonish, NS) are among those looking to race away with a checkered flag from the famed high banked oval.
The NASCAR Pinty’s Series Weekend kicks off Friday, August 17 with the Henry’s AUTOPRO 100 for the Napa Sportsman Series and the Passione Flooring Mini 50 for the MJS Holdings/Prime Lift East Coast Mini Stock Tour. On Saturday, August 18 it’s the NASCAR Pintys’ Series Bumper to Bumper 300 and the Maritime League of Legends Celtic Air Services 50.
Racing starts at 7 p.m. on Friday and on Saturday NASCAR qualifying is set for 3:00 p.m., Legends heat races at 4:30 p.m., followed by a NASCAR autograph session at 5:25 p.m., the Legends feature race at 6:15 p.m., NASCAR driver introductions at 7:25 p.m. and the Bumper to Bumper 300 at 8:00 p.m. The grandstand gates and box office opens at 12:30 p.m. on Saturday and 4:00 p.m. Friday. A detailed schedule for the weekend can be found at RiversideSpeedway.ca.
Reserved and general admission tickets are available online at www.RiversideSpeedway.ca as either a weekend pass or single-day tickets. Reserved seats are only available in advance. Advance ticket sales close Thursday at 5:00 p.m. General admission tickets will be available at the gate on race day.
There is plenty of free spectator vehicle and RV parking for this event. RV parking is for self-contained units only and campers must park in the area designated for campers, and must adhere to Riverside camping terms of use which are published online at www.RiversideSpeedway.ca.
For complete information on the Maritime League of Legends Tour, please visit MaritimeLegends.ca.
About Celtic Air Services
Celtic Air Services is your full-service FBO at the Port Hawkesbury Airport, the gateway to beautiful Cape Breton Island, the world famous Cabot Trail and some of the world’s most famous golf courses. From concierge to aircraft services, Celtic Air Services can handle it all! For more information, please visit CelticAirServices.com.
About Riverside International Speedway
Riverside International Speedway is recognized as a premiere stock racing facility in Canada. The 1/3-mile high banked asphalt oval roars to action several times a year for special events. It is the home for eastern Canada’s only NASCAR event, and of the IWK 250 – widely known as the best stock car race in Canada. Located in James River, between New Glasgow and Antigonish, the facility is easily accessible at exit 30 on Trans Canada Highway 104. For more information call 902.863.2410 or click www.riversidespeedway.ca.
About The Maritime League of Legends:
The Maritime League of Legends Association was formed in 2005 by a group of racer’s wanting to grow the Legends Cars division in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. In 2018, the Maritime League of Legends Tour will visit five venues throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island between May and September during its ten race season. For more information on the Maritime League of Legends, please visit www.maritimelegends.ca.
