Canada has always been a vital part of DIRTcar Northeast.
In 2026, drivers from the “Great White North” found themselves at the top of the region, winning three of the four DIRTcar Northeast Series titles.
Mat Williamson (DIRTcar 358 Modified), Tristan Ladouceur (DIRTcar Sportsman), and Bastien Caron (DIRTcar Pro Stock) each won championships in 2026, marking the first time in 10 years Canadians swept the three Series.
Williamson, who became the fourth driver to win three 358 Modified Series championships, said one factor is the variety of tracks competitors can visit.
“I think the Canadian racers have good racetracks to race at,” Williamson said. “It’s a good breeding ground for racers growing up. It shows a lot. Stew being from Canada, we’ve won the Super DIRTcar Series title the past two years. Keeping those titles at home is pretty cool.”
Mat Williamson earned his third DIRTcar 358 Modified Series title in 2026/Joe Grabianowski
Ladouceur, who won his first Sportsman title, agreed with Williamson and said there’s a bit of a rivalry between the United States and Canada.
“It’s pretty cool to bring some trophies back north,” Ladouceur said. “It’s always USA versus Canada. I don’t look at it that way, but it’s awesome to bring it back north.”
While all three drivers are celebrating their accomplishments and representing their country under the DIRTcar banner, those wins weren’t easy to earn.
Williamson didn’t get the start he’d hoped for at the beginning of the season, finishing 27th in the opener at Lebanon Valley Speedway. However, he bounced back for the rest of the year, earning wins at Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Utica-Rome Speedway, Can-Am Speedway (2), and Albany-Saratoga Speedway, and finished on the podium in 10 of the last 11 races.
He also became the fourth driver in Series history to earn 25 Feature victories, joining Alan Johnson, Danny Johnson, and Brett Hearn.
Even with his success in the Small Block, the St. Catharines, ON driver said he’ll be back for more in 2027.
“We knew we had a good 358 all year,” Williamson said. “I don’t want to say that we’re done with the 358 accomplishments, but certainly there’s no stopping. We want to come out next year stronger than ever. We want to follow the 358 Series again and be stronger than ever. We’re not going to have those mistakes we had at Lebanon Valley.
“Hopefully we can knock off a few wins and climb up that list.”
Like Williamson, Ladouceur’s consistency catapulted him to his first DIRTcar Sportsman Series title. The Alexandria, ON driver was the only competitor to finish in the top 10 in all nine Features. He also added three victories at Can-Am Speedway, Mohawk International Raceway, and the Great Lakes 75 at Super DIRT Week 54.
However, the most significant milestone from Ladouceur’s championship is that he’s the first third-generation champion, joining his dad Joey, who’s a three-time DIRTcar Pro Stock Series champion, and his grandfather Laurent, who won the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series title in 1989.
“I think it’s even cooler that I’m the first third-generation DIRTcar champion,” Ladouceur said. “I’m pretty grateful to live up to my family’s name.
“Dad always told me from the start that consistency wins championships. It was nice to get a win at Can-Am and keep the momentum rolling at Mohawk, and we knew we had a good package for Oswego (Speedway), too.”
Caron’s first run at a DIRTcar Pro Stock Series title was successful, as his consistency propelled him to his first championship. The Inverness, QC driver earned wins at Cornwall Motor Speedway and Fulton Speedway, along with seven top fives and eight top 10s.
Bastien Caron celebrates his championship Super DIRT week 54/Brent Smith photo
While it was a strong season for Caron, he admitted in Victory Lane at Super DIRT Week that staying out of trouble all season helped put him in a position to win the title.
“It was a lot of work during the summer,” Caron said. “I was a little bit lucky with anything. And it’s so fun.”
All three Canadian champions will be honored on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the DIRTcar Northeast Banquet at the Marriott in Syracuse.
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