Organizers for the Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics Vintage Race Car Series are excited to announce dates for its inaugural season. Five races in the three Maritime provinces will kick things off for the new series, the first of its kind in eastern Canada and the fastest growing division in North American motorsports.
All five of the series events in 2020 will be part of major motorsports events in the Maritimes, starting on July 18 as part of the iconic IWK 250 event at Riverside International Speedway near Antigonish (NS). On August 1, the series will visit Oyster Bed Speedway near Charlottetown (PE) in conjunction with the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour event at the facility. August 8 will see the series at Scotia Speedworld near Halifax (NS) as part of the Scotia Speedworld 250 event and on August 15 it’s back at Riverside for the Rev it Up grassroots motorsports extravaganza. The series season closes September 19 at Petty International Raceway near Moncton (NB) as part of the Mike Stevens Memorial weekend.
2020 Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics Schedule
- July 18 – Riverside International Speedway, James River, NS
- August 1 – Oyster Bed Speedway, Oyster Bed, PE
- August 8 – Scotia Speedworld, Halifax, NS
- August 15 – Riverside International Speedway, James River, NS
- September 19 – Petty International Raceway, River Glade, NB
Schedule is subject to change without prior notice.
Management for each of the host tracks is enthusiastic to be a part of the Hot Rod Classics inaugural season.
“We’re excited to have the vintage series debut at Riverside,” said Paul McLean, general manager of Riverside International Speedway. “There is a lot of excitement building with the series. They will be a fantastic addition to the IWK 250 and Rev it Up events.”
“Management and staff of Oyster Bed Speedway are thrilled to be part of the inaugural season of the Hot Rod Classics series by hosting them on August 1 as part of the Pro Stock event,” said Robbie MacLean, Oyster Bed Speedway. “Our fans on PEI will love to see the cars ‘back on track’ that helped build the foundation for stock car racing on the Island.”
“We are excited to host the Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics Vintage Race Car Series in their inaugural season, at Scotia Speedworld on August 8 during our 250 weekend,” said Ken Cunning, Scotia Speedworld. “I believe our fans will enjoy seeing the vintage cars. For some, it will be a trip down memory lane, while for others it will be a chance to see firsthand our racing history.”
“Petty Raceway is continuously looking to add new events to our racing schedule,” said Ellen Smith, manager of Petty Raceway. “We are excited to be a part of the Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics Vintage Race Car Series inaugural season.”
Several cars are already registered for the series ranging from restored originals to custom-built replicas; stay tuned to the Heart of a Champion/Hot Rod Classics website for driver info in the near future. Building rules and procedures can be found here.
Since its launch in mid-2017, Heart of a Champion’s social media following has flourished to over 6,800 with a weekly reach approaching 100,000 – clearly demonstrating an interest in and passion for our Maritime motorsports heritage.
The Hot Rod Classics series will showcase race cars from 1980 or older – some original, some rebuilt, and some newly built – giving veteran fans an opportunity to relive precious memories and at the same time providing a forum where newer fans can experience race cars of a bygone era. The series expects to run a handful of events this season. Vintage car racing is presently the fastest-growing division in North American motorsports.
Ground-floor opportunities are still available for new corporate partners of Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics; to learn more please visit HotRodClassics.ca or email info@heartofachampion.ca.
Heart of a Champion was founded in 2017 to help preserve Maritime motorsports heritage. Organizers used a 1967 vintage stock car they had restored to rekindle memories with veteran fans and to educate new fans, showing the car at motorsports events throughout the Maritimes. At the same time, they launched a basic website and a Facebook page, using it to share vintage racing photos, stories, and a weekly ‘Saturday Salute’ to someone who has helped build motorsports in our region – someone with the Heart of a Champion.
In 2018 the group acquired a vintage open wheel modified race car. In 2019 they used it to garner interest in the potential for a vintage race car series in the region and last July announced their intent to form the HOAC Hot Rod Classics Vintage Race Car Series, to debut in 2020. This past October, HOAC announced an affiliation with the IWK Foundation as an awareness and fundraising partner.
About Heart of a Champion
Heart of a Champion is dedicated to preserving Maritime motorsports heritage by rekindling memories for veteran fans and educating new fans about the people and events that have helped shape motorsports in the region. To accomplish this, they use static and interactive mediums and in 2020 will launch the region’s first-ever vintage race car series, the Hot Rod Classics. To learn more please visit www.heartofachampion.ca or www.hotrodclassics.ca. Fans can also follow Heart of a Champion on Facebook and YouTube.
