By kyohnson 
In Fonda, New York, the King Of Dirt Racing brought the curtain down on the 2016 racing season with a glorious Night Of Champions banquet held at the Winner’s Circle Restaurant last Saturday night.
Top honors went to a pair of kings – Robbie Speed and Connor Cleveland – who both claimed championships in their respective divisions. Cleveland clinched his very first Sportsman Modified championship by outperforming 146 other drivers and earning the title King Connor the 1st. Robbie Speed outpaced 75 other full-fender Pro Stock drivers to claim the title King Robbie the 1st.
After a sumptuous dinner courtesy of the Winner’s Circle Restaurant in Fonda, New York, the ceremonies began with greetings from series promoter Rob Hazer and series announcer Mike Warren. They sat at the front of the ballroom in a unique town hall-style setting.
The Pro Stock awards were first presented, with the top ten drivers receiving plaques and point fund money. Interviews followed with the top three in the point standings, leading to an energetic conversation with the champion, Robbie Speed.
“Yeah, we were all set to load up at the very first race, but my wife calmed me down and my crew chief Scott got me focused, and we drove from 26th to 1st. From there, it was an amazing season,” Speed said during the interviews.
Rob Yetman, who finished second in points, was given a new nickname during his entertaining interview, saying, “We’ll definitely get one of these championships sooner or later. We had a shot at the Valley, but things can change in a flash, and that flat tire didn’t help during the last race.”
Dean Charbonneau, who ended up third in points after the 2016 season, elaborated on finishing strong, saying, “This year, we were able to end the season strongly at the Valley. Hopefully, we’ll get the kinks sorted out and be back on the track in the spring.”
There was high anticipation for the Pro Stock special award recipients, with Jason Casey receiving the Award Of Excellence and Byron Wescott earning the Newcomer Of The Year honors.
Other Pro Stock special award winners were: Robbie Speed (Outstanding Performance), Daniel Sanchez (Memorable Moment), Nick Stone (Hard Charger), Dean Charbonneau (Most Improved Driver), Dan Older (Dirt Dog Lap Leader), Gus Hollner (Hard Luck), Chuck Dumblewski (Most Popular Driver), and Luke Horning (1st Man Out).
The Sportsman Modifieds then took center stage, with champion Connor Cleveland talking about his first championship run.
“We had a great season. We won four heat races, had a terrific win during Friday Night Lights, and were able to hold on by six points to earn the title. It wasn’t easy, but my team and I made it happen, and it feels amazing,” Cleveland said.
Runner-up in point standings David Schilling echoed those thoughts, saying, “It was a great battle right down to the very last race. I did everything I could and won in Vermont, but Connor was able to come through with a top 10 finish to clinch the title. It was a fierce battle.”
Michael Sabia reflected on his season, expressing gratitude for a third-place finish in points, saying, “We had a good year. The one place we thought we’d do better, which was Lebanon Valley, we had breakdowns both times. If we hadn’t, I might have been able to do even better, but we’ll take third among these guys. They’re tough.”
Big winners on the night, aside from the champion, were Adam Pierson, Scott Duell, and Cody Hunt, who all won a pair of awards.
Pierson received the Award Of Excellence in the Sportsman Modified division along with the Hard Luck award after a challenging touring season.
Scott Duell earned the Most Popular Driver honors through the King Of Dirt fall madness tournament along with the Hard Charger award for coming from 45th in points to finish 7th.
Cody Hunt had a career year, finishing 5th in points and receiving both the Redline Graphics Newcomer Of The Year and the Bicknell Racing Products Top Warrior award from Randy Williamson and the folks at BRP.
Other Sportsman special award winners were: David Schilling (Outstanding Performance), Connor Cleveland (Memorable Moment), Andrew Buff (Most Improved Driver), Michael Sabia (DTD Lap Leader), and Adam Gage (1st Man Out).
TOP 10 KING OF DIRT SPORTSMAN
(Total Banquet Take Cash & Prizes)
1 – Connor Cleveland ($2,375)
2 – David Schilling ($1,325)
3 – Michael Sabia ($1,700)
4 – Cody Bleau ($700)
5 – Cody Hunt ($1,250)
6 – Kevin Chaffee ($575)
7 – Scott Duell ($1,050)
8 – Andrew Buff ($650)
9 – Jon Miller ($600)
10 – Adam Pierson ($650)
TOP 10 KING OF DIRT PRO STOCK
(Total Banquet Take Cash & Prizes)
1 – Robbie Speed ($1,100)
2 – Rob Yetman ($600)
3 – Dean Charbonneau ($550)
4 – Nick Stone ($350)
5 – Dan Older ($550)
6 – Chuck Dumblewski ($325)
7 – Byron Wescott ($325)
8 – Jason Casey ($250)
9 – Jon Routhier ($325)
10 – Mike White ($250)
SPORTSMAN PRODUCT AWARDS
Set Of Fox Shocks – Michael Sabia
Complete Beyea Exhaust – Scott Duell
Extreme Speed & Performance Pac Spring Package – Cody Hunt
Keizer Aluminum Wheel From Elmo’s Speed Supply – Andrew Buff
Flach Performance Products Expansion Tank – Jon Miller
Front Axle From Andy’s Speed Shop – Cody Bleau
HICO Fabrication Bumper/Nurf Bar Package – Adam Pierson
Johnstown/Gloversville NAPA Oil/Filter Package – Kevin Chaffee
Hoosier Racing Tire – Connor Cleveland
Hoosier Racing Tire – David Schilling
Hoosier Racing Tire – Adam Gage
PRO STOCK PRODUCT AWARDS
Stone Motorsports $100 Certificate – Dean Charbonneau
Traction Grabber Grinding Disc – Chuck Dumblewski
Racing Wheel From Stone Motorsports – Mike White
Johnstown/Gloversville NAPA Oil/Filter Package – Byron Wescott
PFC Brake Pads (2 Sets) – Jon Routheir
Hoosier Racing Tire – Luke Horning
SPORTSMAN SPECIAL AWARDS
Award Of Excellence – Adam Pierson
Newcomer Of The Year – Cody Hunt
Memorable Moment – Connor Cleveland
Most Popular Driver – Scott Duell
Outstanding Performance – David Schilling
Hard Charger – Scott Duell
Most Improved Driver – Andrew Buff
Lap Leader Award – Michael Sabia
Bicknell Top Warrior – Cody Hunt
Hard Luck – Adam Pierson
1st Man Out – Adam Gage
PRO STOCK SPECIAL AWARDS
Award Of Excellence – Jason Casey
Newcomer Of The Year – Byron Wescott
Memorable Moment – Daniel Sanchez
Most Popular Driver – Chuck Dumblewski
Outstanding Performance – Robbie Speed
Hard Charger – Nick Stone
Most Improved Driver – Dean Charbonneau
Lap Leader Award – Dan Older
Hard Luck – Gus Hollner
1st Man Out – Luke Horning
For more information on the King Of Dirt Racing Series, visit on the web at www.kingofdirtracing.com.
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KING OF DIRT RACING is brought to you in part by sponsors and partners that include: Albany-Saratoga Speedway, Devil’s Bowl Speedway, Lebanon Valley Speedway, Utica Rome Speedway, 1-800-GOT-JUNK?, A-1 Installers, Andy’s Speed Shop, Beyea Custom Headers & Exhaust, Bicknell Racing Products, Bill McGaffin Photography, Buff’s Auto Service, Burt’s Tree Service, Dean’s Electrical Service, DE Signs & Designs, DIRTcar Racing, Dirt Track Digest, Electric City Taxi, Elmo’s Auto Body, Elmo’s Speed Supply, Extreme Speed & Performance, Fastline Performance, Final Reward Trophy, Flach Performance Products, Fox Racing Shocks, HICO Fabrication, High Octane Heating & Cooling, Hoosier Racing Tire, Horn Lady Motorsports, J-Tees Screen Printing, Lazzaro’s Auto Body, Macedon Parts Plus, Mayhem Motorsports, Moore 2 Music Entertainment, NAPA Auto Parts Of Gloversville/Johnstown, Next Generation Roofing, PFC Brakes, Race Pro Weekly, Racers Guide, Redline Graphics, Saratoga Masonry, Simplicity Designs, Speed’s Garage, Stone Motorsports.