The 2020 NASCAR Canada Series champion, Jason Hathaway, will enter a car in both divisions racing this Saturday at Riverside International Speedway’s season opener. The Maple Leaf Classic Presented by Tidal Tractor features the NASCAR Canada Series 300 and the Wajax 150 for the FGI Pro Stock Tour – a whopping 450 laps for Hathaway, and an amazing show for the fans.
Hathaway, from Stouffville, Ontario, is a 13-year veteran with NASCAR Canada and has 14 wins with Canada’s only national touring series – two of those coming at Riverside, in 2013 and 2019. Besides the NASCAR Canada Series, Hathaway has competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and K&N Pro Series East. Both of the race cars he drives this weekend will be fielded by Ontario-based Team 3 Red/Ed Hakonson Racing.
He’s looking forward to logging some laps on Canada’s highest-banked stock car track this Saturday.
“I can’t wait to get back on the high banks at Riverside International Speedway,” said Hathaway. “It is such a fun race track. I look forward to the PST race as well as the NASCAR event.”
On Saturday, Hathaway will face some of the best stock car racers in Canada as two of the nation’s top touring series visit the fast and popular 1/3-mile asphalt oval. It will be round two of 12 for the NASCAR Canada Series in its only stop east of Quebec this year, and round three of 10 for the FGI Pro Stock Tour. Official entry lists will be released by each series mid-week.
Besides 450 laps of feature racing action, fans will see time trials set the field for the NASCAR Canada Series 300, and heat races set the field for the FGI Pro Stock Tour. The show will conclude with a fireworks display to celebrate Canada’s 158th birthday on July 1. Fans are encouraged to display their Canadian pride at Saturday’s Maple Leaf Classic by wearing Canada-themed swag and/or red and white, with prizes for the “best-dressed.”
Racing action gets underway at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday. The grandstand opens at 1 p.m. for advance ticket holders. The box office opens at 2 p.m. NASCAR Canada practice runs from 1:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m., and FGI Pro Stock Tour practice is from 2:20 p.m. to 3:20 p.m. At 4:30 p.m., fans can meet the drivers in a 30-minute autograph session.
Advance tickets and camping reservations are available on the Maple Leaf Classic page at www.riversidespeedway.ca. To provide affordable and fun family entertainment, Riverside management is proud to offer free grandstand admission for kids 15 and under. Free tickets for kids are available at the gate on Saturday; the child must be present and with an adult who has a ticket for the event.
Fans should stay tuned to Riverside’s website (www.riversidespeedway.ca), social media (Facebook, X, and Instagram), and sign up for the electronic newsletter (www.riversidespeedway.ca/media/newsletter) for further announcements.
About Riverside International Speedway:
For 56 years, Riverside International Speedway has been recognized as a premier stock racing facility in Canada. The 1/3-mile high-banked asphalt oval roars to action several times each year for special events. It is the largest outdoor entertainment venue in eastern Canada and the home of the IWK 250 – widely known throughout North America as a “bucket list” event for racers and fans alike. It also hosts the NASCAR Canada Series in its only stop on the East Coast. 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, please visit www.riversidespeedway.ca or call 902-863-2410 (May to September) or 902-404-7049 (October to April).
