DARTMOUTH, NS – The Hot Rod Classics Vintage Race Car Series Presented by Kimco will see a new “old” race car this Sunday at Lake Doucette Motor Speedway near Digby. Over the off-season, HRC founder, Patty Lawrence, created a replica of one of the most recognizable race cars in Canadian stock car racing history, ‘Daytona’ Don Biederman’s Petty blue #43 1972 Chevy Nova. In it, Biederman won crown jewel races in Canada and the United States, including the Maple Leaf 250 at Cayuga Motor Speedway in Ontario and the Oxford 250 in Maine.
For Lawrence, the project to create the car was one of passion – paying homage to a personal hero with whom he has a personal connection, and to create memories for veteran race fans while helping newer fans learn about our stock car racing heritage – the mandate for the vintage racing series as well as its sister-project…the Heart of a Champion social media group that has grown to more than 45,000 followers on Facebook.
Biederman (1940-1999), who hailed from Port Credit, Ontario, was inducted posthumously into the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame in 2001. Even though his home base was in Ontario, he was well-known in the Maritimes with frequent visits to tracks throughout the region in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Whether he won or not, his appearance was nearly always memorable with his hard-nosed persona and aggressive driving style. He was, as they say, ‘a character’.
This weekend will not be the first time fans in western Nova Scotia see a Biederman car. Daytona Don raced in the 1968 and 1969 editions of the Gateway 100 at the old Yarmouth International Speedway, which was then one of the biggest stock car races in the Maritimes. Saturday’s Hot Rod Classics race is the ‘Christie Classic’, named for brothers Allan and Carmen Christie from Barrington. Fittingly, they raced against Biederman in Yarmouth.
In the late 70s, Lawrence’s father, Jerry ‘Jer Bear’ Lawrence, was the promoter at Riverside Speedway (James River). Patty Lawrence was young when he first met Biederman during that era. Biederman’s race car at the time was the ’72 Nova. Biederman made an indelible mark on the youngster.
“For me as a young child, Don Biederman was a larger-than-life personality that helped form the basis of my love for racing,” said Lawrence. “The Biederman car project brings that full circle and exemplifies what Heart of a Champion and the Hot Rod Classics are all about – to help bridge the gap between racing generations and share memories from back in the day. Don Biederman was the basis of many colourful stories that are still shared today, and we hope this car will uncover even more of those stories so they can be passed down from generation to generation. Ironically, my favourite childhood memory from 1977 is not about him racing, but eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches with him in our motorhome – we’ll be packing some for Saturday in his honour.”
In a racing career that spanned three decades, Biederman was a two-time winner of the River Glade International in New Brunswick, a three-time winner of the Riverside 250 (now known as the IWK 250). He was the first Canadian to compete full-time in the NASCAR Grand National Series (now Cup Series) in 1967; it was then that he became known as ‘Daytona’ Don Biederman – a moniker that has lasted over 50 years. He built race cars and drove them for a living, practically unheard of at the time, and as a result, raced every chance he got – often running five nights a week at different tracks in Canada and the U.S.
Behind the scenes, Biederman often gave back to fellow competitors with parts and advice; he also donated time and equipment to restoration projects as he loved nothing more than seeing old race cars restored to their former glory.
So, for Lawrence, this project to replicate one of Biederman’s cars is giving back to a man who contributed so much to short track stock car racing history, in the Maritimes and beyond.
Fans can see the #43 Biederman Nova with Lawrence behind the wheel at Hot Rod Classics races throughout the Maritimes this summer and fall. After Lake Doucette this weekend, they’ll be at River Glade Speedway (Petitcodiac, NB) on July 12, Oyster Bed Speedway (Oyster Bed Bridge, PE) on August 2, Scotia Speedworld (Halifax) on August 9, Riverside International Speedway (James River) on September 6, Petty International Speedway (River Glade, NB) on September 13, and Bud’s Speedway (Sydney) on October 18.
Besides its commitment to help preserve Maritime motorsports history, the Hot Rod Classics organization is dedicated to fundraising for the IWK Foundation in support of the IWK Health Care Centre for Women and Children. Since 2020, they’ve donated over $43,000 to the Foundation, raised through series merchandise sales and events. Thanks to M&R Automotive for its support as sponsors of the HRC merchandise fundraising project.
About Hot Rod Classics
The Hot Rod Classics Vintage Race Car Series was formed in 2019 by organizers of Heart of a Champion, a group formed in 2017 to help preserve Maritime motorsports – now with over 45,000 worldwide followers on social media. The series debuted in 2020 and showcases vintage-style race cars from bygone eras with gentleman-style racing among its competitors. It provides a real-time platform for newer race fans to learn about Maritime stock car racing history and for veteran fans to relive glory days and meaningful memories. To learn more, please visit www.heartofachampion.ca or www.hotrodclassics.ca, or follow Heart of a Champion on Facebook.