Ovide Doiron
{{short description|Canadian Dirt Modified racing driver (1940–2025)}}
{{Infobox racing driver
| name = Ovide Doiron
| image =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|9|22|mf=y}}{{cite web|title=2012 DIRT Hall of Fame Class: Ovide Doiron |url= https://superdirtcarseries.com/news/2012-dirt-hall-of-fame-class-ovide-doiron/|publisher=SuperDIRTcarSeries.com |accessdate= September 13, 2023}}
| birth_place = Shediac, New Brunswick, Canada
| death_date = {{death date and age|2025|5|6|1940|9|22|mf=y}}
| last series = Modified racing career
| years active= 1972–2003
| first year = 1958
| car number = 40
| championships = 25
| wins = 300+
| retired = 2003
| titles =
| awards=
| updated=
}}
Ovide Doiron ({{IPA|fr|ɔvid dwaʁɔ̃|lang}}; September 22, 1940 – May 6, 2025) was a Canadian Dirt Modified racing driver and engine builder. Credited with more than 300 wins he captured 25 track championships.{{cite news |last=Lauwers |first=Sylvain |date=February 4, 2019 |title="The Flying Frenchman" honored at Cornwall Motor Speedway banquet |url=https://thereview.ca/2019/02/04/the-flying-frenchman-honored-at-the-cornwall-motor-speedways-banquet/ |accessdate=September 13, 2023 |work=The Review |publisher= |location=Vankleek Hill, ON}} Doiron became known as the "Flying Frenchman" after an incident at the Fort Covington Speedway (New York), which occasioned Doiron's car getting airborne and backward, tearing down the flag stand as he took the checkered flag for the feature event win.{{cite news |date=August 9, 1972 |title=Car trunk meets checkered flag at Ft. Covington Speedway |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/potsdam/potsdam-courier-and-freeman/1972/08-09/page-8/ |accessdate=September 13, 2023 |work=Courier & Freeman |publisher= |location=Potsdam NY |page=8 |via=NewspaperArchive}}
Racing career
Ovide Doiron got his start in the sport in 1958 by maintaining the racecars for the owners of the Riverside Speedway, an asphalt track in Laval, Quebec. He was soon driving and competing as well at the nearby Quebec City and Sherbrook speedways. Family life prompted a switch to the hobby stock and the late modal classes on dirt surfaces, while Doiron began building and maintaining his own engines.{{cite news |last=Simpson |first=Don |date=February 11, 2019 |title=A Diamond in the Rough - Ovide Doiron |url=https://360nitro.tv/articles/2019/02/11/a-diamond-in-the-rough-ovide-doiron |accessdate=September 13, 2023 |publisher=360Nitro.tv}}
By 1972, Doiron had moved to the modified class, competing successfully at the tracks of northern New York including Can-Am Speedway, Mohawk International Raceway and Watertown Speedway, the southeastern Canadian speedways at Brockville, Cornwall, and Kingston in Ontario, and the Autodrome Edelweiss in Hull, Quebec.{{cite news |last=O'Donnell |first=John |date=September 18, 1989 |title=Doiron takes modified qualifier as Can Am season ends |url=https://nny360.newsbank.com/doc/news/0EB0976DD0FE7A2D?pdate=1989-09-18 |access-date=October 18, 2023 |newspaper=Watertown Daily Times |location=NY |page=9 |via=NNY360 Archives}}{{cite news |date=Jun 22, 1981 |title=Doiron rolls to win in Can-Am Track's Modified Sportsman |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/new-york/syracuse/syracuse-post-standard/1981/06-22/page-68/ |accessdate=September 13, 2023 |work=The Post-Standard |publisher= |location=Syracuse NY |page=68 |via=NewspaperArchive}}
In 2003, Doiron retired from driving but continued to build power plants for many of the area teams. He was inducted into the Northeast Dirt Modified Hall of Fame in 2012.
Personal life
In 1994, at the age of 30, Doiron's son Joel followed his father into a race car, eventually claiming track championships at Cornwall as well as Autodrome Edelweiss.{{Cite news |last=Simpson |first=Don |date=January 30, 2025 |title=Joel Doiron Dedicates Himself to Preserving His Father's Legacy |url=https://www.dirttrackdigest.com/columns/2025/01/30/joel-doiron-dedicates-himself-to-preserving-his-fathers-legacy-dtd-exclusive/ |access-date=May 12, 2025 |work=Dirt Track Digest}}
Ovide Doiron died on May 6, 2025.{{cite news|title=Northeast Dirt Modified Hall Of Famer Doiron, 84|url=https://speedsport.com/short-track/dirt-modifieds/northeast-dirt-modified-hall-of-famer-doiron-84/|date=May 7, 2025|newspaper=Speed Sport|accessdate=May 7, 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External link
- [https://www.canadianracer.com/visitor-photos/kingston/photos/images/kingston10.jpg Ovide Doiron race car]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Doiron, Ovide}}