A battle in Northern New York awaits the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series as it kicks off its 2025 season during the Thunder in the Thousand Islands weekend at Can-Am Speedway.
A $4,000 prize is on the line on Friday, April 11, in a 50-lap battle.
Joining the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series are the track’s DIRTcar Sportsman division and 602 Crate Sprint Cars.
Tickets are available ahead of time or at the gate.
The event serves as night one of the Thunder in the Thousand Islands weekend before the Super DIRTcar Series, DIRTcar Sportsman Series North Region, and Thunder Cars take center stage on Saturday, April 12.
For more on the DIRTcar Northeast, follow the DIRTcar Facebook page and the Series’ X/(Twitter) page.
Here are the storylines to watch at Can-Am:
Felix’s Defense: In 2024, Felix Roy outlasted Lance Willix on the season’s final night to earn his first DIRTcar 358 Modified Series championship. Now, the Napierville, QC driver gets his chance to defend his title starting Friday at Can-Am.
Felix Roy gets ready for Malta Massive Weekend at Albany-Saratoga Speedway/Joe Grabianowski
Roy’s only made one Series start at Can-Am, finishing third in 2023 after starting 12th. He also finished eighth in last September’s Super DIRTcar Series event.
Despite earning a championship last season, Roy is searching for his first Series victory.
Chasing Hollywood: While Roy aims for back-to-back Series titles, Super DIRTcar Series and 358 Modified Series stars will try and stop that from happening in 2025.
That list begins with defending Super DIRTcar Series champion Mat Williamson, who’s looking for his second DIRTcar 358 Modified Series title after winning in 2023. The two-time defending Salute to the Troops 150winner has eight 358 Modified Series wins but none at Can-Am. His best finish is a third in 2019.
Mat Williamson celebrates his Salute to the Troops 150 win in 2024/Brent Smith
However, the St. Catharines, ON driver has been victorious at the Nasty Track of the North, winning the R.D. Hutchinson Memorial with the Super DIRTcar Series last September.
Mike Mahaney is another driver planning a full-time DIRTcar 358 Modified Series title run in 2025. “Smooth Shoe” has finished second and third in the final points standings in the past
but hasn’t won a championship. Mahaney earned his first Series win last fall at Albany-Saratoga, and his best finish at Can-Am was fifth in 2019.
Lance Willix, who races at Can-Am weekly, was Roy’s closest competitor in the 358 Modified Series standings in 2024, losing the title by four points. The Theresa, NY driver won the Series opener at Glen Ridge Motorsports Park last season and earned two wins at Can-Am in 2024.
The veteran 358 Modified campaigner’s best Series finish at Can-Am is fifth in 2004 and 2007.
North Country Prowess: Since October of 2007, the DIRTcar 358 Modified Series has raced nine times at Can-Am, with two drivers winning all of them.
Four-time and defending track champion Tim Fuller has won six of those Features, including the last Series event in 2023. The Edwards, NY driver hasn’t finished outside the top two in 358 Modified Series events at Can-Am since 2018, and enters the race aiming for his 22nd career Series victory.
Billy Dunn, a six-time Can-Am track champion, is the other winner, earning three Series victories at the track. The 2021 Series champion has 12 career Series triumphs and finished sixth the last time the Series raced at the track in 2023.
