Ovide Doiron | |
---|---|
Born | [1] Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada | September 22, 1940
Retired | 2003 |
Oval track racing career | |
Debut season | 1958 |
Car number | 40 |
Championships | 25 |
Wins | 300+ |
Ovide Doiron (born September 22, 1940) is a retired Canadian Dirt Modified racing driver and engine builder. Credited with more than 300 wins he captured 25 track championships. [2] Doiron became known as the "Flying Frenchman" after an incident at the Fort Covington Speedway (New York), which occasioned Doiron's car getting airborne and backward, tearing down the flag stand as he took the checkered flag for the feature event win. [3]
Ovide Doiron got his start in the sport in 1958 by maintaining the racecars for the owners of the Riverside Speedway, an asphalt track in Laval, QC. He was soon driving and competing as well at the nearby Quebec City and Sherbrook speedways. Family life prompted a switch to the hobby stock and the late modal classes on dirt surfaces, while Doiron began building and maintaining his own engines. [4]
By 1972, Doiron had moved to the modified class, competing successfully at the tracks of northern New York and southeastern Cananda, including Brockville Speedway ON, Can-Am Speedway NY, Cornwall Motor Speedway ON, Autodrome Edelweiss QC, Mohawk International Raceway NY, Kingston Speedway ON, and Watertown Speedway NY. [1] [4] [5] [6]
In 2003, Doiron retired from driving but continued to build power plants for many of the area teams. He was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 2012. [1] [2] [4]
Late Model stock car racing, also known as late model racing and late models, refers to a type of auto racing that involves purpose-built cars simultaneously racing against each other primarily on oval tracks. This type of racing was early-on characterized by its participants' modification to the engines of post-World War II passenger cars, but the modern day understanding references a class that allows considerable modifications to both the engine and body, yet requires some form of front fender package.
Modified stock car racing, also known as modified racing and modified, is a type of auto racing that involves purpose-built cars simultaneously racing against each other on oval tracks. First established in the United States after World War II, this type of racing was early-on characterized by its participants' modification of passenger cars in pursuit of higher speeds, hence the name.
The Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds is a North American big block modified touring series currently promoted by World Racing Group. The series primarily races on dirt ovals in the Northeastern United States and Canada along with select dates in Florida and North Carolina.
Palm Beach Speedway was a motor sports racing venue located in West Palm Beach, Florida. The speedway hosted a total of 7 NASCAR races between January 20, 1952 and December 11, 1956. Dick Rathman had the most poles at 3, and Herb Thomas captured the most wins with 4. The half mile dirt oval was built in 1949, paved in 1955 and torn down in 1984.
Fulton Speedway is a 3/8th mile high bank dirt oval raceway in Volney, New York. The track was built into a hilly area on the banks of the Oswego River in a natural bowl, with seating high above the track, on a hill.
Richard (Dick) Nephew was an American stock car racing driver and national titlist of the NASCAR Sportsman Division.
Timothy 'Tim' Fuller is an American Dirt Modified and Late Model racing driver. Fuller has 285 feature events wins from 45 tracks in 14 states, two Canadian provinces and Australia.
Danny O’Brien is a Canadian Dirt Modified racing driver. Currently credited with 226 career wins at 11 tracks in two countries, he has captured 14 track titles at Brockville Speedway, ON.
Patrick "Pat" O'Brien is a retired Canadian Dirt Modified racing driver. Credited with more than 185 wins at seven speedways in two countries, he earned four Mr. DIRT 358 series crowns. He has captured 22 track championships, including 10 titles at Can-Am Speedway in Northern New York.
Donald "Don" June was a pioneering driver of dirt modified stock cars. He dominated the inaugural season at Edgewood Speedway in 1951, winning 11 feature events at the Alexandria Bay, New York oval and claiming the Adirondack Stock Car Club championship.
Gary Reddick was a driver of modified stock cars. Equally adept on both dirt and asphalt surfaces, he captured 7 track titles and nearly 200 feature wins in the northeastern United States and the southeastern Canada.
David "Dave" Heaslip is a retired Canadian dirt modified racing driver. Credited with more than 300 career wins he competed for 50 years against the toughest competition on either side of the St. Lawrence River.
Douglas "Doug" Carlyle was a Canadian dirt modified racing driver. He competed successfully at race venues on either side of the St. Lawrence River, including Brockville Speedway ON, Fonda Speedway NY, Grandview Speedway PA, and Rolling Wheels Raceway NY.
Robert "Bob" Zeigler was a driver and promoter of modified stock car racing. Equally adept at driving on both dirt and asphalt surfaces, he was recognized for his driving talent and respected for building a speedway during what many believe to be the golden age of stock car racing.
Marcel LaFrance was a Canadian dirt modified racing driver. His racing career spanned two countries and 38 years, winning 268 feature events and claiming five track titles.
Clifford "Cliff" Kotary was an American dirt modified racing driver who accounted for over 300 feature victories. He won an unprecedented six straight New York State Fair Labor Day Championships.
Francis "Frank" André was a Canadian dirt modified racing driver whose career spanned two countries and four decades. In an era when trophies were only awarded for championships and special events, André collected over 70.
Guy "Shorty" Robinson was an American driver of modified stock cars. Equally adept on both dirt and asphalt surfaces, he was victorious at venues on either side of the St. Lawrence River, despite being limited primarily to weekend racing by his full-time job.
Gary Tomkins is an American dirt modified racing driver. Tomkins has 146 feature event wins in the U.S., Canada and Australia.
Mohawk International Raceway is a four-tenths of a mile semi-banked high-speed dirt oval raceway located three miles from the Canadian-American border near Hogansburg, New York.