(BEDFORD, NS – July 27th, 2023) – For the first and only time this season, the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour is heading to Prince Edward Island this Saturday, July 29th. The Island ICF 50 at Oyster Bed Speedway is Round Four of 10 on the regional touring series. The race will run on the undercard of the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour’s BJ’s Truck Centre 150. Racing gets underway at the Oyster Bed Bridge, Prince Edward Island oval on Saturday at 5pm.
Ayden Christensen (Windsor Junction, NS) became the first Cross Roads Rookie Contender to pick up a feature victory with his win in the R&D Performancenter 50 at Petty International Raceway last Saturday night. Christensen started 18th in the 24 car field and mixed it up with the front runners in the late stages of the event in a very competitive 50-lap contest. Josh Langille (Coldbrook, NS) appeared it would be his night for a huge breakout victory on the Series but that was halted by Christensen’s time in the spotlight. Langille, who led several laps in the feature at Petty International Raceway, finished second with another rookie in Dawson Noble (Upper Nine Mile River, NS) in third. For Noble, it was his second consecutive podium finish after a runner-up performance at Riverside International Speedway the week prior in the Superior Foundations 50.
With his win, combined with a seventh place finish by Gage Gilby (Enfield, NS), Christensen vaults to the top of the Series championship standings after three races. The gap between the top two drivers is only 10 points. With Gilby’s bump in the road, it goes to show how deep the field can be at these events this season. Langille, top Master Daryl Mahar (Hubley, NS) and Noble complete the top five in the standings. For Mahar, he lost ground in the standings after an eighth place finish at Petty International Raceway while Noble has had to dig out of a hole from Race One, where he finished 24th in the MacDonald Automotive 50 at Scotia Speedworld.
In total, 19 teams have competed in all three races so far in 2023, with 36 teams competing in at least one race with the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour through three events. Of those 19 full time teams, seven are competing for the Cross Roads Rookie of the Year Award. Christensen not only leads the overall standings but leads the Rookie chase as well. He has opened up the gap in that chase by 35 points over Noble with Chase MacKay (Bear Cove, NS) just a single point behind the No. 8 car. With seven events to go and three of those in the next four weeks, the continued stretch of races will shape the standings when the Series exits Riverside International Speedway on August 19th.
The Prince Edward Island trip is a favorite amongst racers. While the Island is known for several tourist destinations, it will be all business when the gates swing open on Saturday at Oyster Bed Speedway for the Island ICF 50. Danny Chisholm (Canning, NS) won both stops here last season on the Series and was poised to finish on the podium this season in his only race thus far with the Tour before running over a muffler late in the Superior Foundations 50. Speaking of late race failures, rookie Caden Tufts (Halifax, NS), who broke late last week at Petty Raceway while running for a top five finish, won a house division Legend race earlier this month at Oyster Bed Speedway. In that contest, Tufts held off a hard charging Tanton Wooldridge (Summerside, PE) to take the checkered flag. Wooldridge finished fourth in the most recent Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour event.
Along with Tufts, keep your eyes on Owen Mahar (Hubley, NS) this weekend as he tries to rebound from a dismal opening three rounds on the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour season. The defending champion of the Tour enters 18th in the standings with a season high 16th place finish at Scotia Speedworld in May. While he has had speed and his father Daryl enters Saturday fourth in the standings, the reigning Tour titlist will look to turn his season around at a track he had two second place finishes at in 2022.
Grandstand admission prices for Saturday’s events at Oyster Bed Speedway are $30 for adults and $10 for youth aged eight to 15, while children seven years of age and under will be admitted free. Pit admission is $40. An eWaiver is required to enter the pit area. This electronic form can be found at os.speedwaiver.com.
Following the Island ICF 50, the Series takes a week off before back-to-back races in the Province of Nova Scotia in August, beginning with the Schooner General Contracting 50 at Scotia Speedworld. The Saturday, August 12th event is a part of the Summer Clash 250 Weekend presented by Superior Foundations and Atlantic Tiltload. Tickets for that event are on sale now at ScotiaSpeedworld.ca.
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 Ashton Reekie
