SYRACUSE, N.Y. — The best DIRTcar drivers in the Northeast gathered in Syracuse Saturday evening to celebrate their accomplishments for the 2024 season.
The four DIRTcar Northeast Series champions were honored at the event, along with the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Racing champions and the Number One Speed Rookies of the Year.
More than $300,000 in prize money was handed out to drivers across five divisions.
DIRTcar Northeast Series Champions
The four DIRTcar Northeast Series champions received their trophies and checks during Saturday’s banquet, capping off their successful 2024 seasons.
Along with Super DIRTcar Series champion Mat Williamson, three other drivers celebrated in front of their peers.
Felix Roy (DIRTcar 358 Modified Series Champion): Felix Roy added his first DIRTcar 358 Modified Series championship to his resume this year.
Despite being kept out of Victory Lane, the Napierville, Q.C. driver earned two top fives and four top 10s en route to the title.
Roy, who finished second in 2023, won the championship by four points over Lance Willix as the battle for the title came down to the season’s final night at Brockville Ontario Speedway. He rebounded for a 13th-place finish after falling off the track in the first 20 laps, scoring enough points to win the title.
“I was going a little crazy in my head when I fell off the track,” Roy said. “But we were able to get it back together and go win the championship.
“It’s fun, I got to thank my dad, my mom, my crew chief and everyone on board that helped me achieve that.”
Cody McPherson (DIRTcar Sportsman Series Champion): A consistent 2024 season earned Cody McPherson his third DIRTcar Sportsman Series title – most all-time with the Series.
The St. Catharines, Ont. driver scored one win in the championship season, taking the checkered flag in the Mike Bonesky Memorial at Ransomville Speedway. That win and eight top 10 finishes in nine starts allowed McPherson to win the title by 37 points over Gavin Eisele.
“I dedicated this season to my grandpa,” McPherson said. “He bought me my first go-kart, and first Sportsman. When we started, we were wrecking all the time. But he never talked bad or put us down. We fixed it, went on to the next night and most of the time wrecked it again.
“He always gave us the confidence to keep going and if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t be able to do what I do now.”
Pete Stefanski (DIRTcar Pro Stock Series Champion): Pete Stefanski is the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series champion for the fifth time in his career. The North Tonawanda, NY driver won at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park and added five top fives and seven top 10s.
His win also gave him 28 career Series victories, more than any other driver.
“It means a lot,” Stefanski said. “It’s been a while since I’ve been up here, and I’d like to thank DIRTcar for changing it to just DIRT Series races for us because there isn’t a track close to us we can go to. It helped us come back and run the Series against these guys and have a lot of fun.”
Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Champions
Peter Britten (DIRTcar Big Block Modifieds): A strong season and his second Albany-Saratoga Speedway track championship helped Peter Britten earn the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly Big Block Modified title for the first time.
The “Batman,” from Brisbane, QLD earned four wins between Albany-Saratoga, Land of Legends Raceway and Orange County Fair Speedway, and scored 20 top fives and 32 top 10s in 33 starts in 2024.
“We focused on the DIRTcar Big Block stuff this year running [Albany-Saratoga], [Land of Legends], and [Orange County],” Britten said. “I guess this is the result of dedicating the work to it. Anytime we had a little bit of a leg up, and you can beat Williamson and Sheppard and them guys it’s always good.”
Lance Willix (DIRTcar 358 Modifieds): For the second straight year, Lance Willix earned the Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly championship for the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds.
The Theresa, N.Y. driver ended the season with seven wins, 20 top fives, and 31 top 10s in 39 starts, edging Billy Dunn by eight points in the final standings.
“I’m still getting clapped and not booed so I guess that’s a good thing,” Willix said.
Cody McPherson (DIRTcar Sportsman): Along with the DIRTcar Sportsman Series championship, McPherson took home the Hoosier Tire Weekly Championship in 2024.
He reached victory lane 15 times and never finished outside the top five in 26 starts, leading to track championships at Ransomville Speedway and Merittville Speedway.
Luke Horning (DIRTcar Pro Stocks): Like Willix, Luke Horning earned his second consecutive Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly championship in the Pro Stocks.
From Gloversville, N.Y., “Cousin” Luke took home three wins throughout the season, along with 14 top fives and 17 top 10s in 18 starts.
Chris Bonoffski (DIRTcar 4-Cylinders): A dominant season by Chris Bonoffski earned him the 2024 Hoosier Racing Tire Weekly championship for the 4-Cylinders.
The Fulton, N.Y. driver earned 11 victories, 16 top fives, and 16 top 10s in 19 starts this season.
“I had a good car,” Bonoffski said. “I had a lot of good people helping me out. I always wait until it’s too late to comprehend the point thing, but Justin Pope pointed it out to me, so I had to finish off good.”
Number One Speed Rookies of the Year
David Schilling (Big Block Modifieds): While David Schilling has battled in a Modified throughout his career, 2024 was his first year in a Big Block.
The East Greenbush, N.Y. driver finished 17th in the final standings, earning two top fives and 11 top 10s in 20 starts.
“I’ve raced Modifieds for a few years now, but this is actually the first time I’ve owned a Big Block,” Schilling said. “It was definitely a learning curve with the Big Block under the hood, but we figured it out. We definitely got better toward the end of the year, learned a lot, and hopefully we’ll bring that into next year with a couple of new cars and new motors and have some better luck.”
Andrew Buff (DIRTcar 358 Modifieds): A year after winning the DIRTcar Sportsman Series championship, Andrew Buff backed it up with a season worth the Rookie of the Year with the DIRTcar 358 Modifieds.
The Latham, N.Y. driver finished third in the 2024 Hoosier Racing Tire weekly points after scoring wins at Fulton Speedway and Glen Ridge Motorsports Park. He also scored 12 top fives and 19 top 10s in 29 starts.
“We only had two wins,” Buff said. “A lot more downs than ups but we’re looking forward to next year. We have the same plans as last year and we’ll see if we can improve.”
Dylan Moore (DIRTcar Sportsman): Dylan Moore’s jump to the DIRTcar Sportsman division in 2024 paid off for the Canadian driver, earning Rookie of the Year honors.
The Elgin, Ont. competitor finished seventh in the standings at Brockville Ontario Speedway this season while learning the ropes from his brother Brennan, who also competed with the Sportsman weekly.
“It was quite different from the Novice (Sportsman), but I learned a lot,” Moore said. “I didn’t think I’d be here in my second year of racing, but here we are.”
Roxanne Roy (DIRTcar Pro Stocks): Second-generation Pro Stock driver Roxanne Roy earned Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, joining her dad Jocelyn as the only father-daughter team to win Rookie of the Year in any DIRTcar division.
The Sainte-Helene De Bagot, Q.C. driver finished ninth in the DIRTcar Pro Stock Series standings this season, starting all seven events.
“It’s unbelievable that I’ve been able to accomplish this,” Roy said. “I wouldn’t been able to accomplish this without my husband who sacrificed some his own racing to be with me all the time, and my dad who’s always been there. I grew up with him in the garage and he’s showed me tricks, and we did the whole year together. He’s just showing me stuff and I really appreciate it.”
Chevrolet Performance Crate Engine Drawing: To give back to the weekly competitors, Chevrolet Performance awarded a crate engine to a Sportsman driver.
This year, the winner was Brett Sears. The top 30 Pro Stock drivers and top 50 Sportsman drivers in Hoosier Tire Weekly points were eligible for the drawing.