WEEDSPORT, N.Y. — Before Felix Roy had one of his best performances at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals, he almost didn’t go.
He lost his race shop and a family friend in a fire the week prior.
The tragedy put the Napierville, Quebec driver’s plans to travel south with the rest of the Super DIRTcar Series field on hold. But racing has a funny way of presenting opportunities to heal.
Chris Reckner, owner of JAM Performance, already had a car prepared for Roy, ready to race in Florida. To get there, Roy’s grandfather gifted him with plane tickets for his birthday.
On the first night at Volusia Speedway Park with the Super DIRTcar Series, Roy put the fire behind him and nearly earned his first series victory. He led 20 laps before Stewart Friesen – in his first race back with the series – passed him with six laps to go.
He finished second, but having that run in the face of adversity was special for him and those in Quebec, he said.
“It was really nice to get a second place,” Roy said. “I wasn’t supposed to be there, but I was able to actually be there, and to do good like that was awesome. And I think it gave everyone a smile back at home.
“I would’ve liked to get the win, but I was happy for Stewart; he deserved it, and I was really happy with that second place.”
While he’s finished second to Friesen before, this time around was different. Roy led 20 laps in the 2026 season opener, the most he’s led in a single season. Roy said he felt like he had the car to win the 30-lap feature, but was bested by Friesen, who has won 53 Super DIRTcar Series events.
“Stew had a good jump on me and pulled away, but I was able to hit my marks on the bottom and started catching him before the first caution,” Roy said. “I didn’t know what to think. But on the restart, I got a good run on the top and made it work. Even when I took the lead, I felt great. I went back to the bottom because it started feeling rough up there where I was running, and felt more comfortable and felt faster.
“I think that last caution got me there. I wasn’t happy with that caution because we had a pretty good lead. And on that last restart, I felt good, but I didn’t expect him to drive by me on the outside. And I was like damn, there goes the win.”
Roy’s runner-up finish wasn’t the only strong finish of the weekend. On the final night of DIRTcar Nationals, Roy charged from 21st to earn a top five. That run, along with the strong start of the season, has given him confidence for how things will go in the 2026 championship season.
“The whole week we were happy with the results,” Roy said. “On the last night, we had a pretty good spot in the heat race, we got put in the wall and had to make my way through the [Last Chance Showdown]. The car was bent and everything, so I didn’t know what to expect. It was really good on the bottom, and everyone was fighting for the top, so I was driving by them.”
With DIRTcar Nationals in the rearview mirror, Roy is looking ahead toward kicking off the championship season in March at Georgetown Speedway. And after the shop fire, his season with the Super DIRTcar Series will look different than before. Roy will run with three different teams to fill out the year.
“Jam Performance has a car at their shop, and they’re going to do half the races,” Roy said. “Not everything is planned out yet, but it’ll be about a 15-race schedule for them on tour. The ONE Racing team is going to some races as well, and I’m going to do the rest (in the family car).”
While Roy has championship aspirations in 2026, his main goal is simple: get that elusive first Super DIRTcar Series victory. Between leading laps at The Dirt Track at Charlotte last year and his strong early-season performances, Roy said he expects that moment to come sooner than later.
“The last race at Charlotte, I think we had a shot, and the first race this year we had a shot,” Roy said. “I think this year we’re going to have a shot. If we could capture one of the wins, it’d be really nice.”
