Riverside International Speedway

Riverside International Speedway is a , high banked, asphalt short track located in James River, Nova Scotia, Canada, about southwest of the town of Antigonish.

Track history

Riverside International Speedway started out as a dream Antigonish businessman John Chisholm, who was an avid racing fan and was determined to advance his favourite sport in his home province. In 1967 Chisholm flew down to Bristol Motor Speedway and met with NASCAR co-founder Bill France, Sr., who gave him permission to model the track after a scaled-down version of Bristol. Chisholm and his team began construction on the speedway in 1968 in James River, Nova Scotia. The project was completed a year later and opened its doors for the first time on May 18, 1969.

In 1975 Riverside played host to its first celebrity driver when Benny Parsons visited the track to compete in the NASCAR Canada series race, just a few months removed from his Daytona 500 win. This was the first time that a major stock car driver visited the region to compete in a race. The race also featured a purse of $7500, the largest in the region at that time.

In 1977, under new track promoters Jerry Lawrence and Ron King, Riverside hosted its first 250 lap race, a staple that soon became an annual tradition.

Chisholm sold the track to local resident Erik Edward Vandaalen in 1989. Vandaalen owned the track until his unexpected death on Dec 25th 2005, at which point John Chisholm subsequently bought it back in 2006. Upon regaining ownership of the track, Chisholm began a major renovation project. The renovation consisted of repaving the entire track, replacing the metal guardrails with concrete walls, rebuilding and enlarging the grandstands, and constructing a new press box with VIP seating. The restroom facilities were completely rebuilt, the sound and lighting systems were replaced, an electronic scoreboard was installed, and the parking and campground capacity was increased.

In 2007 Riverside became the only Canadian racetrack East of Quebec to be sanctioned by NASCAR when it was named to the schedule of the newly formed NASCAR Canadian Tire Series. The first Canadian Tire Series race was held on September 16, 2007. Peter Gibbons dominated the race, sitting on the pole and leading 201 laps before a rear end problem forced him to the garage. This set the stage for Mark Dilley to take home the checkered flag for his first career Canadian Tire Series win.

Riverside played host to the Richard Petty Driving Experience as the final stop on their first ever Canadian Summer Tour on July 24, 2011. Two of the programs three experiences were available to fans at the track, including their signature 12-lap “Rookie Experience,” and the “High-Speed Ride-Along”, which simulates a qualifying run with a professional instructor. The track hosted the Richard Petty Driving Experience on their second Canadian Summer Tour in 2012, once again offering the “Rookie Experience,” and the “High-Speed Ride-Along”.

On August 18, 2012, Mike Stevens drove his #4 R Stevens Mechanical Chevrolet Impala to victory lane in dominating fashion at the 2012 Lucas Oil 100. Stevens started the race from the pole position, putting up a qualifying time of 14.336 seconds, and led all 100 laps in the caution free race. The win was his second of the Parts for Trucks Pro Stock Tour season, both coming at Riverside. The win turned out to be the final win of Stevens' career as less than a year later, on August 3, 2013, Stevens would succumb to injuries sustained in a crash at Oyster Bed Speedway.

Track owner John Chisholm died on July 4, 2014, at the age of 68. Ownership of the track was transferred to his family. The 2014 IWK 250 was dedicated in Chisholm's honour, with all the cars in the race carrying a special decal commemorating his life and saying thanks.

On August 16, 2014, Donald Chisholm, just two months following the death of his father, took home an emotional victory in the NASCAR Canadian Tire Series Wilson Equipment 300. The victory was a first for Chisholm in the series, who also earned his first career pole in the event.

Prior to the 2015 IWK 250 Riverside unveiled the John W. Chisholm Memorial Cup. Past 250 winners such as John Flemming

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