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Weedsport, NY (May 6, 2025) – The Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame sends sincere condolences to the family, friends and fans of beloved Canadian pioneer driver and engine builder Ovide Doiron, who died the morning of May 6th following a lengthy illness. Doiron was 84.
Doiron, from Alexandria, Ontario, was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 2012.
Ovide got his start in the sport in 1958, maintaining race cars for the owners of Riverside Speedway, an asphalt track outside Montreal. He was soon behind the wheel at area dirt ovals in both Quebec and Ontario provinces, testing his skills in entry-level Hobby and Late Model stocks.
Doiron moved up to the headlining class in the early ’70s, driving Eugene Lamarche’s candy-apple red Modified and carving his name in the record books. He had his best year in 1974: in a former Dexter Dorr car he cruised to 38 feature wins at Kingston, Brockville, Cornwall, Watertown, Can-Am and Fort Covington, where he was next to unbeatable. It was Fort Covington’s final year of operation and Doiron won 18 of the 20 shows.
And that’s where he earned his flamboyant nickname. Approaching the finish line, en route to another sure victory at Fort Covington, Doiron was clipped by a lapped car, sending him hard into the guard rail, demolishing the flagstand and landing wheels down across the line to claim the chaotic win. He was forever known as “The Flying Frenchman” after the incident.
When he hung up his helmet for good in 2004, Doiron had amassed an enviable body of work, including an estimated 300 wins and championships at Brockville, Can-Am, Cornwall, Mohawk, Kingston and Autodrome Edelweiss, among others. In addition to the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame, he was inducted into the Glengarry Sports Hall of Fame in 2001.
Ovide was also a sought-after engine builder, providing potent powerplants for many of the top teams in the region and generously passing on his technical knowledge, expertise and experience to mentor the next generation of racers.
