(BEDFORD, NS – August 17th, 2023) The Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour starts the second half of their action packed 2023 season this Saturday afternoon, August 19th. The INEX-sanctioned touring series heads to Riverside International Speedway for their second and final appearance for the year on the high banked oval. The Cross Roads 50 is the sixth of ten events on the year, is a part of the Summer Sizzler at Riverside International Speedway and will see qualifying get underway on Saturday at 4pm in James River, Nova Scotia.
Upper Nine Mile River, Nova Scotia’s Dawson Noble has been digging out of a hole after the MacDonald Automotive 50 at Scotia Speedworld in May. The first half of his season came full circle last weekend at his home track when he won the Schooner General Contracting 50, putting his 24th place effort at the season opener behind him. The freshman driver, who is also a two-time winner on the Scotia Speedworld Weekly Racing Series, has climbed to second in the standings and is leading the Cross Roads Rookie of the Year standings. The hill to climb in the second half of the season is 28 points between himself and 2022 Cross Roads Rookie of the Year Gage Gilby (Enfield, NS).
Gilby moves to the championship lead after a second place finish last week at Scotia Speedworld. Ayden Christensen (Windsor Junction, NS) entered the Schooner General Contracting 50 with the point lead overall and in the Rookie of the Year chase, but brake issues for the No. 24 car relegated the freshman to a less than desirable 29th place finish in the feature. Christensen is now tied for third in the standings with Josh Langille (Coldbrook, NS). Nathan Blackburn (Timberlea, NS) has shown speed all season long but not necessarily the finishes to show for the effort. His third place run at Scotia Speedworld this past Saturday was his best finish of the year and vaulted him into the top five in the standings, just 17 points out of the duo tied for third in the championship chase.
The Schooner General Contracting 50 saw 29 cars compete for the checkered flag. The car count matches the Superior Foundations 50 from earlier this season at Riverside International Speedway for the biggest turnout of race cars on the year. Coming off Scotia Speedworld and heading back up the highway to Riverside International Speedway, the Series is expecting another big field at the James River, Nova Scotia oval.
Cory Hall (Jolicure, NB) took home the most recent trip to Riverside International Speedway in July but with the Superior Foundations 50 winner not entering Saturday’s race, it leaves this race wide open for the taking. Danny Chisholm (Canning, NS) has a win to his credit at Riverside in a Legend last season while Owen Mahar (Hubley, NS) had two podium runs at Riverside in 2022 en route to his Tour championship. Colton Noble (Upper Nine Mile River, NS), Gilby, Dawson Noble and Daryl Mahar (Hubley, NS) have all see podium finishes in one of the last three events on the high banks just outside of Antigonish, Nova Scotia.
The vice has tightened on the Cross Roads Rookie of the Year battle as Dawson Noble has only eight points on Christensen at the halfway mark of 2023. Chase MacKay (Bear Cove, NS) sits third, 36 points off the mark set by Noble in the first half of the year. Island ICF 50 winner Caden Tufts (Timberlea, NS), Chase Livingston (Springhill, NS) and Aiden MacDonald (York, PE) have competed in all races so far in the rookie chase with the team of Chase and Jason Roberts (Merigomish, NS), Buddy Geldart (Moncton, NB) and Samantha MacDonald (Dartmouth, NS) competing in three of the five opening races of the season. For the Roberts family, Saturday is the second race of the season at their home race track where Jason raced Street Stocks in the early 2000’s. In addition, former Scotia Speedworld Bandolero champion Emily Chisholm (Antigonish, NS) will make her Legend car debut Saturday at her home track in the Cross Roads 50.
Thirty-nine teams have competed in at least one Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour race this season with 18 teams racing in all five races to date.
Saturday’s Cross Roads 50 will be run in support of the Parker Street Food and Furniture Bank.
Racing starts at 4 p.m. on Saturday. The pit gate opens at 11 a.m. Those with advance tickets will have early access to the grandstand, starting at 1 p.m. The box office opens at 2 p.m. for those who plan to get their tickets at the gate. There is plenty of free spectator parking on-site. Free camping is also available for the weekend (in designated areas only). Advance tickets and pit passes are available online at www.riversidespeedway.ca or at the Riverside office in the Post Road Plaza (Antigonish, M-F, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.).
For up-to-date information on the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour, please visit MaritimeLegends.ca or follow the Series on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MaritimeLegends.
About Cross Roads Cycle:
Cross Roads Cycle is located in Pugwash, Nova Scotia and offers a wide variety of motorcycles, recreational vehicles, trailers, power equipment and all the accessories, support and service that go with. Financing and international shipping is available. You can check out their entire inventory by visiting them online 24/7 at CrossRoadsCycle.net, give them a call at (902) 667-0917 or visit them at 11103 Highway 6 in Pugwash, Nova Scotia.
About The Maritime League of Legends:
The Maritime League of Legends Association was formed in 2005 by a group of racers wanting to grow the Legends Cars division in the Maritime Provinces of Canada. The popular touring series visits several venues throughout Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. For more information on the Maritime League of Legends, please visit www.maritimelegends.ca.
Photo by WingNut Productions