DARTMOUTH, NS – The Heart of a Champion Hot Rod Classics Powered by NTN are back on track this Saturday at Petty International Speedway in River Glade, New Brunswick as part of the Mike Stevens Memorial Weekend. The much-anticipated first-year vintage race car series debuted at Petty last month with fans, new and old, excited to see the hot rods on the track, and off. Subaru of Moncton will once again sponsor this week’s Hot Rod Classics Powered by NTN races.
Several vintage race cars have entered this Saturday’s show, including Ron Hefler’s 1965 Chevy II replica of ‘The Hound’ – a tribute to North America motorsports legend Jr. Hanley ( a native of Nova Scotia), Jim Rankin’s 1972 Dodge Demon, Patrick Horne’s 1965 Ford Galaxie, Maurice Horne’s 1968 Ford Fairlane, Cy Harvey’s 1949 Chevy Coupe, and Patty Lawrence’s 1978 Pinto NASCAR Tour-Type Open Modified.
The Hot Rod Classics Powered by NTN is the first vintage stock car racing series in eastern Canada; vintage racing is the fastest-growing division in North American motorsports. HRC showcases race cars from 1980 or older – some original, some rebuilt, and some newly built – allowing veteran fans to relive precious memories and at the same time providing a forum where newer fans can experience race cars of a bygone era.
Series associate sponsors include EIT Race Radios, Homestead Restaurant, Maritime Car Wash, Mazda Canada, and Steele Mazda. HRC organizers greatly appreciate all of the support it has received from fans, racers, and tracks since the series was announced last summer. More information on the series and its sponsors can be found at www.hotrodclassics.ca.
Besides the Hot Rod Classics Powered by NTN vintage race cars, fans at Petty this Saturday will see a Super Late Model 200, Late Model 100, and Legends Cars. Racing starts at 4 p.m. A full race card is also planned for Friday evening at Petty; please visit pettyinternationalraceway.com for more information as well as COVID-19 guidelines.
Since its launch in mid-2017, Heart of a Champion’s social media following has flourished to over 9,200 with a weekly reach approaching 100,000 – clearly demonstrating an interest in and passion for our Maritime motorsports heritage.
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 launched a 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 in July 2019 announced their intent to form the HOAC Hot Rod Classics Vintage Race Car Series. In the fall of 2019, HOAC announced an affiliation with the IWK Foundation as an awareness and fundraising partner.
About Petty International Raceway:
Petty International Raceway is located on Highway 106, just 40 km west of Moncton, New Brunswick. To learn more about Petty International Raceway, please visit www.pettyraceway.com.
About NTN
Founded in 1918, NTN is one of the world’s largest producers of premium quality ball and roller bearings, long recognized for the most stringent quality standards in the industry. With plants around the globe and a strong domestic manufacturing network, over 80% of the products sold by NTN in North America are made by one of the 10 plants the company operates in Canada and the USA. NTN is also a leading provider of bearing services which include technical support, maintenance and reliability services, engineering consulting and training. NTN’s company vision is “to transform into Canada’s leader of the Ultimate Bearing Experience.” For more information, please visit www.ntn.ca.
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.
