DRUMMONDVILLE, Quebec — One of the most highly anticipated swings of the year awaits the Super DIRTcar Series with three straight nights of action between Canada and the United States.
First, the Beasts of the Northeast return to Autodrome Drummond on July 20-21 for the annual King of the North. The two-night event features two 75-lap features paying $10,000-to-win.
To make the spectacle even bigger, this year’s King of the North will crown an event champion, given to the driver with the two best feature finishes. The King of the North champion will receive an extra $2,000, along with a customized helmet and title belt.
After two nights at Drummond, the series returns to Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, N.Y., for the first time since 2019 for the Thunder in the Adirondacks on Wednesday, July 22. Drivers will battle in a 60-lap feature paying $7,200-to-win, honoring the track’s 72 years of history.
Déjà Vu
Entering King of the North at Drummond, the Super DIRTcar Series points standings look similar to last year’s stop at the “F1 of Dirt.”
Last season, Alex Yankowski entered the two-night event with a two-point lead over defending Series champion Mat Williamson. This year, it’s a four-point margin. Williamson cut the gap to four points after a podium finish at Mohawk International Raceway last week and aims to reclaim the lead for the second time this season.
Neither driver has won a Super DIRTcar Series event at Drummond, but both have had success at the half-mile dirt track. Yankowski hasn’t finished outside the top 10 in two starts, including a third in last year’s finale. Williamson, from St. Catharines, Ontario, also hasn’t finished outside the top 10 at the track and has knocked on the door to victory lane with two runner-up finishes.
At Airborne, Williamson has never won a Big Block feature at the track but does have a DIRTcar 358 Modified Series win. Yankowski, from Covington Township, Pa., has made one start at the Airborne, finishing 11th during a stop in 2024.
Reigning King
Over the past two seasons, no one has been better at Autodrome Drummond than 10-time series champion Matt Sheppard.
The Savannah, N.Y., driver has won the last three Super DIRTcar Series Features at the track, and nine overall since 2004, including his first and 100th Series wins.
Entering next week, Sheppard is searching for his first Super DIRTcar Series triumph of 2026. It’s the longest he’s gone without a series win in a season since 2007, when it took him until October to reach victory lane. If “Super Matt” continues his streak at Drummond, he’ll hit 104 series wins.
He enters the event third in the standings, 69 points behind Yankowski.
Hollywood
Next week’s King of the North marks the only time in 2026 that the Super DIRTcar Series will race in Felix Roy’s home province of Quebec.
Roy, from Napierville, Quebec, has won five of the last nine Modified features at the track and finished second in the track’s last race. Overall, “Hollywood” has seven wins, 16 top fives and 29 top 10s in 39 starts at Drummond.
He also has similar numbers at Airborne, where he’s won seven times in DIRTcar 358 Modified action, including the track’s Leon Gonyo Memorial in April. Roy has earned 27 top fives and 35 top 10s in 37 starts. Along with his feature statistics, he’s the defending track champion at the “Big A.”
He’ll be on the hunt for his first series win.
Smooth Swing
Like Roy, Mike Mahaney has found success at both Drummond and Airborne throughout his career.
The Elizabethtown, N.Y., driver’s last Super DIRTcar Series win came at Drummond in 2023 when he won the King of the North finale. However, since that victory, he’s only finished in the top 10 once in his last four starts.
It’s the opposite at Airborne, though. “Smooth Shoe” has been on a hot streak at the Plattsburgh track in 2026, winning the last four 358 features, including the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series stop in June.
Mahaney is searching for his fourth career series win.
Best Of Quebec
On all three nights, the Super DIRTcar Series stars will have to contend with the best drivers Quebec has to offer.
That starts with Michael Parent, the only driver to beat the Series stars at Drummond over the last 23 seasons. Overall, the Granby, Quebec driver has four wins at the “F1 of Dirt,” along with 34 top fives and 56 top 10s. At Airborne, he’s made 13 starts, earning one top five and six top 10s.
Parent will be joined by David Hebert, the most recent winner at Drummond. Hebert, from St. Damase, Quebec, has 74 victories at the Quebec track, along with 198 top fives and 224 top 10s. The “Great Canadian Champion” is still searching for his first Super DIRTcar Series victory at his home track.
Hebert is also no stranger to victory lane at Airborne, earning a win last season.
Other Quebec drivers expected to join the Super DIRTcar Series next week include William Racine, former series regular Steve Bernard, Elliott Gamache, Donovan Lussier, Mario Clair, Sebastien Gougeon.
