Riverside International Speedway is ready to rock and roar this weekend with the Matt Minglewood Band on Friday, NASCAR Canada and the Fort Garry Industries Pro Stock Tour on Saturday.
It’s all part of the third-annual Maple Leaf Classic Weekend Presented by Tidal Tractors – one of the biggest rock and racing shows in the nation – capped with a fantastic fireworks display on Saturday after racing has concluded.
The facility will be transformed into a concert-setting on Friday for Minglewood Rocks Riverside with the legendary Matt Minglewood Band headlining the show; Antigonish’s own Hammer Down will open the show. Minglewood’s music is a blend of country, blues, folk, rock, and roots. Hammer Down covers popular music and traditional favourites – a show sure to get the audience revved up for racing on Saturday.
Revved up indeed, for 450-laps of feature racing action on Saturday – with two of the nation’s top touring series. The NASCAR Canada Series will make its only stop this year east of Quebec for the Pinty’s 300, bringing top drivers from Ontario and Quebec. The Fort Garry Industries Pro Stock Tour 150 will include top drivers from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island. Besides feature racing, fans will be treated to qualifying action with NASCAR time trials and Atlantic Tiltload Heat Races for the pro stocks.
The NASCAR Canada (NCaS) entry list includes notables like defending and three-time series race winner at Riverside DJ Kennington – also a two-time series champion, Alex Tagliani - a world-class racer with starts in IndyCar and NASCAR’s national series in the United States, Kevin Lacroix – winner of the NCaS doubleheader at Riverside, Andrew Ranger – two-time series champion and series race winner at Riverside in 2009, L.P. Dumoulin – a two-time series champion, and Marc-Antoine Camirand – a three-time and defending series champion and the most recent winner on the series. Riverside is round four of 14 on the 2026 NASCAR Canada Series schedule. Camirand leads the driver standings entering Riverside.
The Pro Stock Tour (PST) entry list includes NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series driver Cole Butcher, the first Nova Scotian to drive full time on one of NASCAR’s national divisions in the U.S. This will be Butcher’s first home race of the year. Cole Butcher is a two-time PST champion and will face other series champions like his brother Jarrett Butcher, Ashton Tucker, Dylan Blenkhorn, and Donald Chisholm. The 19-car entry list is steep in talent from veterans and rookie alike. After three of 10 championship points events, Tucker and Gage Gilby are tied atop the standings by a slim seven-point margin over Jordan Veinotte.
Cole Butcher will be a special guest at Friday’s Minglewood Rocks Riverside concert with a Meet’n’Greet from 7 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. and a Q & A during the band changeover time, approximately 8:30 p.m. until 9 p.m. Drivers from both series will participate in an autograph session on Saturday from 4:30 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Friday’s concert starts at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, racing starts at 5:30 p.m. A complete schedule can be found at www.riversidespeedway.ca.
As part of Riverside’s decades-long dedication to providing fun and affordable family entertainment, admission is FREE for kids 15 & under to Saturday’s NASCAR/Pro Stock Tour doubleheader, and only $10 for Friday’s concert. Adult admission prices are available on the Maple Leaf Classic page on the Riverside website.
Complete point standings and more about NASCAR Canada can be found at www.nascar.ca, and about the Fort Garry Industries Pro Stock Tour at www.maritimeprostocktour.com.
Tickets for the Maple Leaf Classic Weekend Presented by Tidal Tractor are available at the gate both days or online at www.riversidespeedway.ca. Camping reservations are available online with a limited supply of drive up available starting Thursday at Noon.
PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST – PINTY’S 300 – NASCAR CANADA SERIES
1. (#3) Alex Tagliani
2. (#8) Connor Bell
3. (#9) Mathieu Kingsbury
4. (#10) Rob Naismith
5. (#17) DJ Kennington
6. (#27) Andrew Ranger
7. (#28) Frederick Ladouceur
8. (#39) Alex Guenette
9. (#47) L.P. Dumoulin
10. (#74) Kevin Lacroix
11. (#80) Donald Theetge
12. (#84) Larry Jackson
13. (#85) Howie Scannell
14. (#93) Martin Goulet, Jr.
15. (#96) Marc-Antoine Camirand
16. (#98) Herby Drescher
PROVISIONAL ENTRY LIST – FORT GARRY INDUSTRIES PRO STOCK TOUR 150
1. (#0) Colton Noble
2. (#08) Nicholas Naugle
3. (#2) Ashton Tucker
4. (#11v) Jordan Veinotte
5. (#13) Austin MacDonald
6. (#24) Ayden Christensen
7. (#25) Ryan VanOrschot
8. (#25g) Gage Gilby
9. (#31) Chris Reid
10. (#32) Chris Hughes
11. (#36) Gary Elliott
12. (#40) Robbie MacEwen
13. (#42) Kyle Reid
14. (#51) Mark Leclair
15. (#53) Cole Butcher
16. (#54) Jarrett Butcher
17. (#66) Owen Mahar
18. (#67) Dylan Blenkhorn
19. (#89) Donald Chisholm
Entry lists are subject to change without notice.