BEDFORD: The Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour embarks on their 2024 season and their busiest stretch of the Summer this Saturday with a trip to Speedway 660.
The Geary, New Brunswick track hosts Round One of 10 on the 2024 season, the Cross Roads 50, and is a part of the undercard that includes the second race of the year on the Easy-Kleen Super Late Model Series.
This is the first of three races at the track a stone’s throw from Fredericton and first of three back to back weekends on the road for the popular Maritime touring series.
Green flag is set for Saturday, June 1 at Speedway 660 is 6pm.
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Legend racing continues to enjoy a resurgence into 2024 in the Maritimes.
A total of 41 teams competed with the Tour in 2023 and with new teams emerging over the winter, that number is expected to grow throughout the year.
Featuring a mix of young, up and coming talent and seasoned veterans looking to make headlines, the 2024 season is sure to provide plenty of excitement as the Series works its way around the Maritimes.
Eighteen teams have signaled intent to make the haul to the 1/3-mile oval this weekend to compete in the first 50-lap feature of the season.
While reigning champion Gage Gilby (Enfield, NS) has made the jump to the East Coast International Pro Stock Tour in 2024, one would think that the Series will see a new champion this season.
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The odds may sway it that way, but one driver will look to change that.
Craig MacDonald (Waverley, NS) will compete full-time on the Series for the first time since his championship run in 2021. MacDonald won a Maritime League of Legends Tour feature on SpeedWeekend during his title run and will be a favorite to not only repeat as champion but to win the Season Opener when Tim Elliott drops the green flag on the 50-lap feature.
Of the top 13 in points in 2023, a dozen of them will return to contest the full schedule in 2024.
Series runner-up Josh Langille (Coldbrook, NS), Nathan Blackburn (Timberlea, NS), Chase MacKay (Bear Cove, NS) and Tanton Wooldridge (Summerside, PE) finished behind Gilby in the final standings.
All will look to take those extra steps this season to take home the top spot over 10 races.
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Wooldridge, Ayden Christensen (Windsor Junction, NS) and Caden Tufts (Timberlea, NS) began their 2024 season at INEX Winter Nationals at Citrus County Speedway in Inverness, Florida.
The trio had success with Wooldridge and Tufts scoring top five finishes throughout the week and Christensen taking home a pair of wins in the Semi Pro division.
Christensen is the top Semi Pro driver in Canada East and is coming off a win at Scotia Speedworld last Friday night in a Weekly Racing Series feature.
Brad and Devin Wadden (Masters and Pro, Hammonds Plains, NS) are coming off respective INEX Canada East state championships in 2023 and have their eyes set on a Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour title alongside Brad’s son and Devin’s brother Brayden (Hammonds Plains, NS).
Teagan Dempsey (Fredericton, NB) will look to defend his home track Saturday in the 50-lap opener.
Expected entries for Saturday’s opener also include Chase Livingston (Springhill, NS), Stephen Piccott (Charlottetown, PE), Kelsey Hann (New Glasgow, NS), Aiden MacDonald (York, PE), Nathan Langille (Coldbrook, NS), Samantha MacDonald (Dartmouth, NS) and Daniel Vandenburg (Lower Onslow, NS).
The Season Opener at Speedway 660 starts a three races in three weekend stretch for the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour. Next Saturday, the Series will head to Petty International Raceway for a 50-lap feature on June 8.
From there, the Tour heads across the Confederation Bridge to Prince Edward Island for their only stop at Oyster Bed Bridge for the year on Saturday, June 15th.
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The Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour would like to welcome Surrogate Technology Management, MacDonald Automotive, Eastern Powder Coating and EIT Race Radios to the Series as contingency award partners in 2024.
EIT Race Radios will continue to present Heat Races, Surrogate Technology Management joins to deliver the Hard Charger Award, MacDonald Automotive will honor the top rookie in each Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends Tour feature while a pole draw will take place courtesy of Eastern Powder Coating.
Pit gates for competitors open at 11:30am on June 1st at Speedway 660, grandstand gates open at 4 pm with racing at 6pm.
Adult grandstand admission is $30 while youth 15 and under are free. Pit admission is $40 and an e-waiver is required to enter the pit area. Complete event information can be found at Speedway660.com.
For more information on the Cross Roads Maritime League of Legends, please visit MaritimeLegends.ca.
- – Information supplied by Tim’s Corner Motorsports
