Riverside International Speedway is a 1/3 mile, high banked, asphalt short track located in James River, Nova Scotia, Canada, about ten kilometres southwest of the town of Antigonish.
Riverside International Speedway started out as a dream Antigonish businessman John Chisholm, who was an avid racing fan and was determined to advance his favourite sport in his home province. In 1967 Chisholm flew down to Bristol Motor Speedway and met with NASCAR co-founder Bill France, Sr., who gave him permission to model the track after a scaled-down version of Bristol. Chisholm and his team began construction on the speedway in 1968 in James River, Nova Scotia. The project was completed a year later and opened its doors for the first time on May 18, 1969.[1]
In 1975 Riverside played host to its first celebrity driver when Benny Parsons visited the track to compete in the NASCAR Canada series race, just a few months removed from his Daytona 500 win. This was the first time that a major stock car driver visited the region to compete in a race. The race also featured a purse of $7500, the largest in the region at that time.[2][3]
In 1977, under new track promoters Jerry Lawrence and Ron King, Riverside hosted its first 250 lap race, a staple that soon became an annual tradition.[4]
Chisholm sold the track to local resident Erik Edward Vandaalen in 1989. Vandaalen owned the track until his unexpected death on Dec 25th 2005, at which point John Chisholm subsequently bought it back in 2006.[5] Upon regaining ownership of the track, Chisholm began a major renovation project. The renovation consisted of repaving the entire track, replacing the metal guardrails with concrete walls, rebuilding and enlarging the grandstands, and constructing a new press box with VIP seating. The restroom facilities were completely rebuilt, the sound and lighting systems were replaced, an electronic scoreboard was installed, and the parking and campground capacity was increased.
In 2007 Riverside became the only Canadian racetrack East of Quebec to be sanctioned by NASCAR when it was named to the schedule of the newly formed NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. The first Canadian Tire Series race was held on September 16, 2007. Peter Gibbons dominated the race, sitting on the pole and leading 201 laps before a rear end problem forced him to the garage. This set the stage for Mark Dilley to take home the checkered flag for his first career Canadian Tire Series win.[6]
Riverside played host to the Richard Petty Driving Experience as the final stop on their first ever Canadian Summer Tour on July 24, 2011. Two of the programs three experiences were available to fans at the track, including their signature 12-lap “Rookie Experience,” and the “High-Speed Ride-Along”, which simulates a qualifying run with a professional instructor.[7] The track hosted the Richard Petty Driving Experience on their second Canadian Summer Tour in 2012, once again offering the “Rookie Experience,” and the “High-Speed Ride-Along”.[8]
The decal commemorating the life of John Chisholm that was on all the cars during the 2014 IWK 250
On August 18, 2012, Mike Stevens drove his #4 R Stevens Mechanical Chevrolet Impala to victory lane in dominating fashion at the 2012 Lucas Oil 100. Stevens started the race from the pole position, putting up a qualifying time of 14.336 seconds, and led all 100 laps in the caution free race. The win was his second of the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour season, both coming at Riverside.[9] The win turned out to be the final win of Stevens' career as less than a year later, on August 3, 2013, Stevens would succumb to injuries sustained in a crash at Oyster Bed Speedway.[10]
From left to right: IWK 250 3rd Place Trophy, John W. Chisholm Memorial Cup, IWK 250 Trophy Presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body, IWK 250 2nd Place Trophy
Track owner John Chisholm died on July 4, 2014, at the age of 68. Ownership of the track was transferred to his family. The 2014 IWK 250 was dedicated in Chisholm's honour, with all the cars in the race carrying a special decal commemorating his life and saying thanks.[11]
On August 16, 2014, Donald Chisholm, just two months following the death of his father, took home an emotional victory in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Wilson Equipment 300. The victory was a first for Chisholm in the series, who also earned his first career pole in the event.[12]
Prior to the 2015 IWK 250 Riverside unveiled the John W. Chisholm Memorial Cup. Past 250 winners such as John Flemming, Rollie MacDonald, and Kent Vincent, along with the Chisholm Family attended the unveiling. The Cup is a handmade silver cup that not only recognizes future and past winners of the IWK 250 but also recognizes the winners of the annual Riverside 250 from 1977 to 2006 with plaques on the base. The traditional IWK 250 Trophy Presented by Steve Lewis Auto Body will continue to be awarded alongside the John W. Chisholm Memorial Cup.[13]
Regan Smith on the backstretch during practice for the 2007 IWK 250
The primer event at Riverside is the IWK 250. In 2007 the annual 250 mile race at the track was repurposed to raise money and garner support for the IWK Health Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. It has since become one of the premier Late Model races in North America, attracting national attention, as well as some of the sports top drivers, including NASCAR Champions Brad Keselowski and Matt Crafton, V8 Supercars Champion Marcos Ambrose, and Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano.
In 1967 track builder John Chisholm called up NASCAR co-founder Bill France, Sr. and told him about his intentions of building a half mile racetrack in Nova Scotia. Big Bill told Chisholm that a half mile track would be too hard on the engines, cars, tires and engines and invited him and his surveyors down to Bristol to get the dimensions of the track and then shrink them down. Chisholm and his crew did just that and started construction of Riverside in 1968.[14]
The track is designed as an asphalt oval that is .333 miles (.536km) in length with 14° banking in the turns, and 5° banking on both straightaways.
Robert Arthur Allison is a former American professional stock car racing driver and owner. Allison was the founder of the Alabama Gang, a group of drivers based in Hueytown, Alabama, where there were abundant short tracks with high purses. Allison raced competitively in the NASCAR Cup Series from 1961 to 1988, while regularly competing in short track events throughout his career. He also raced in IndyCar, Trans-Am, and Can-Am. Named one of NASCAR's 50 greatest drivers and a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, he was the 1983 Winston Cup champion and won the Daytona 500 in 1978, 1982, and 1988.
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series is a pickup truck racing series owned and operated by the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR), and is the only series in NASCAR to race production pickup truck-based stock cars. The series is one of three national divisions of NASCAR, ranking as the third tier behind the second-tier NASCAR Xfinity Series and the top level NASCAR Cup Series.
Kasey Kenneth Kahne is an American dirt track racing driver and former professional stock car racing driver. He last competed in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2018, driving the No. 95 Dumont Jets/Procore Technologies Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Leavine Family Racing. Currently, Kahne competes in the High Limit Racing series, driving the No. 9 sprint car for his own team, Kasey Kahne Racing.
The Food City 500 is an annual 500-lap, 266.5-mile (428.9 km) NASCAR Cup Series points race held at the Bristol Motor Speedway in Bristol, Tennessee. This is one of two NASCAR races held at Bristol, the other being the Bass Pro Shops Night Race. It was the first venue of the 2007 NASCAR schedule to host the fifth-generation NASCAR premiership race car, a race won by Kyle Busch. For much of its history, from 1961 to 1992 the race was run on the original asphalt surface, then on concrete from 1993 to 2020 after Bristol changed surfaces, but was moved to a dirt layout beginning in 2021, under the name Food City Dirt Race. Beginning in 2024, the race was held on the concrete oval.
The NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour (NWMT) is a modified stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR in the Modified Division. The Modified Division is NASCAR's oldest division, and is the only open-wheeled division that NASCAR sanctions. NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour events are mainly held in the northeastern United States, but the 2007 and 2008 tours expanded to the Midwest with the addition of a race in Mansfield, Ohio. The tour races primarily on short oval paved tracks, but the NWMT also has made appearances at larger ovals and road courses.
The NASCAR Canada Series is a national NASCAR racing series in Canada, and is a continuation of the old CASCAR Super Series which was founded in 1981. It is the top NASCAR touring series in Canada.
Douglas James Kennington is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver. He currently competes full-time in the NASCAR Canada Series, driving the No. 17 Dodge Challenger for his own team DJK Racing. He won the 2010 and 2012 Canada Series championships. Kennington also previously competed part-time in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, driving the No. 99 Toyota Supra for B. J. McLeod Motorsports, and part-time in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 77 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for Spire Motorsports. He is the son of Doug Kennington, a CASCAR driver and founder of St. Thomas Raceway Park.
Scott Steckly is a Canadian professional stock car racing driver and team owner. In his nine years competing in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, he drove the No. 22 Dodge Charger for his own 22 Racing team. He is the 2008, 2011, 2013, and 2015 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Champion. He currently fields the No. 18 Chevrolet Camaro full-time for Alex Tagliani, the No. 22 Camaro full-time for Marc-Antoine Camirand, and the No. 24 Camaro full-time for Donald Theetge.
Don Biederman was a Canadian stock car racer from Port Credit, Ontario.
Mark Dilley is a Canadian race car driver. He competes in the NASCAR Pinty's Series, driving the No. 64 Leland/BDI/PartSource Ford Fusion for Micks Motorsports. Dilley has been co-owner of Sauble Speedway since May 2017.
Tim Schendel is an American professional stock car racing driver. A past winner of the Toyota All-Star Showdown and champion of the NASCAR Midwest Tour, he has also competed in the NASCAR Nationwide Series and the ASA Midwest Tour.
The Clarington 200 is a NASCAR Pinty's Series stock car race held twice annually at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario, Canada. In previous seasons, one race would take place on the facility's 3.957 km (2.459 mi) road course and one race taking place on the facility's now-closed 0.805 km (0.500 mi) oval speedway. It has been part of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series in every season since 2007. Previous editions of the race have belonged to the USAC Stock Car division, the ASA National Tour and the CASCAR Super Series.
The 2014 NASCAR Canadian Tire Series season was the eighth season of the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series, which took place in the summer of 2014. The season consisted of 11 races at 10 different venues, of which 7 were held on ovals. It began with the Pinty's presents the Clarington 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on May 18 and ended with the Pinty's 250 at Kawartha Speedway on September 20. Scott Steckly entered the season as the defending Drivers' Champion.
The Maritime Pro Stock Tour is an annual racing tour located in the Maritime provinces of Canada.
Donald Chisholm is a Canadian professional racing driver. Chisholm currently drives the No. 89 Keltic Ford/Nova Construction Ford Fusion for NOVA Racing in the Parts For Trucks Pro Stock Tour and part-time in NASCAR Pinty's Series driving the No. 89 NOVA Racing Ford Fusion.
John Flemming is a Canadian professional racing driver. Flemming formally drove the #97 Happy Harry's Affordable Building Dodge for Flemming Motorsports in the Parts For Trucks Pro Stock Tour.
The IWK 250 is a 250-lap late model stock car race held annually at the third-mile Riverside International Speedway in James River, Nova Scotia.
Austin Leo Theriault is an American professional stock car racing driver and politician who currently works in driver development. He last competed part-time in the NASCAR Cup Series, driving the No. 52 for Rick Ware Racing, and part-time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, driving the No. 92 Ford F-150 for RBR Enterprises. He won the ARCA Racing Series championship in 2017, driving for Ken Schrader Racing.
The 2018 NASCAR Pinty's Series was the twelfth season of the Pinty's Series, the national stock car racing series in Canada sanctioned by NASCAR. It began with the Clarington 200 at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park on 20 May and concluded with the Pinty's Fall Brawl at Jukasa Motor Speedway on 29 September. Alex Labbé entered the season as the defending Drivers' champion. Louis-Philippe Dumoulin won the championship, seven points in front of Alex Tagliani.
Tyler William Dippel is an American professional stock car racing driver. He last competed full-time in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series in 2019, driving the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado for Young's Motorsports.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
