CONCORD, N.C. — A year after falling short of the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series title by one position, Felix Roy proved that finish was no fluke in 2024.
The Napierville, Q.C. driver finished 13th in the Series finale at Brockville Ontario Speedway, enough to beat Lance Willix by four points to earn his first Series championship.
His accomplishment makes him the third driver from Quebec since 1993 to win the title, joining two-time champion Steve Bernard and Mario Clair.
“It’s a good series,” Roy said. “There’s a lot of good drivers on the Series. Last year, we came up short, finishing second, and this year, we won. I run 358 weekly, so running the tour is really nice for me.
“We go to some really nice tracks. There’s always 40-45 cars, and it’s just crazy and nice (to win it).”
While Roy’s finish at Brockville earned him the championship, that moment almost didn’t happen. On Lap 12 of the 100 lap Feature, Roy went off the track and dropped to 29th place, creating an uphill battle in the final 88 laps.
“I tried to go three-wide with David (Hebert) and another guy, but I guess they didn’t have enough space for me,” Roy said. “I fell off the track, and I was seething in there. I was like f—(expletive); I gave the championship away right there, and it’s over.
“But during the race, I said, let’s focus. You always have a shot to win. The race went my way after that, and I was able to get back and finish 13th. I didn’t even know I won the championship; I thought (Willix) won by a couple of points because I was so far back.”
Now that he’s secured his first championship, Roy is turning his attention to his Big Block Modified when the Super DIRTcar Series returns to action at the World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 6-9, at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.
Last season, he finished 23rd, 18th and 24th at Charlotte. Roy attributed some of that to the learning curve he faced racing at the fourth-tenths-mile dirt track for the first time.
“It’s just another planet when you go there,” Roy said. “The track’s big. It has different clay. It’s wide. It’s fast. It’s a nice track, and I’m looking forward to going back. I know last year we didn’t do too good. In the last race, we had a good run but had a flat right rear, but I think we can battle in the top five and top 10.”
Like with his DIRTcar 358 Modified championship, he has the chance at World Finals to match another Quebec driver’s accomplishment. In 2022, Mathieu Desjardins won his first career Super DIRTcar Series Feature in front of a rowdy Charlotte crowd – a feat Roy said would be incredible to achieve.
“I know there were a lot of Quebec fans there when [Desjardins] won,” Roy said. “I wasn’t there, but I heard it was crazy. And it’ll be such a feeling to win a Super DIRTcar Series race at Charlotte, too. The stands are huge. They’re packed. And it’s just crazy.”
Roy, the 2024 DIRTcar 358 Modified Series champion, will bring his familiar No. 91 to North Carolina when the Super DIRTcar Series concludes its season at The Dirt Track at Charlotte for the World of Outlaws World Finals, Nov. 6-9.