12/2/2024
Airborne Park Speedway
Mahaney crowned as Airborne Park Champion; Flagger Marshall, Huttig Family receive special awards
PLATTSBURGH, Ny. -- Airborne Park Speedway’s 2024 Night of Champions Banquet is in the books, putting a bow on the 2024 season and setting everyone up for 2025.
At the Rainbow Banquet Hall in Altona, where the Bruno family last hosted an Airborne Park Speedway banquet in 2015 as promoters of the pavement track, nearly 300 people filled the room, dressed to the nines, to celebrate a successful 2024 season, the 70th one in Airborne Park’s history.
Elizabethtown, NY’s Mike Mahaney received high honors, collecting the Be Cool 358 Modified Track Championship trophy and $5,000 for just ten races in 2024. Tim Fuller earned $3,000 for the 2nd position in the standings and Steve Bernier earned $1,500 for 3rd. Modified Rookie of the Year Jordan Fornwalt finished 8th in points, collecting $500. The total paid out for the headline class was $12,500.
The J&S Steel Sportsman Champion Donovan Lussier earned $2,000 for his 2024 title run with 2nd place finisher Joey Scarborough collecting $800. All in all, the sportsman drivers earned $5,000 in point fund money with all top 15 drivers in attendance earning a minimum of $100.
The 9th State Cannabis Renegade Champion, Shawn Duquette, who finished the season with three wins and never finished outside the top five, earned $500. Tylor Terry and Nate Guay, 2nd and 3rd in the points, earned $400 and $300, respectively. $2,150 was paid out to the Renegade drivers.
The Moore Recycling Mini Stock Champion, Ryan Senecal, also picked up $500. The top 15 Mini-Stockers earned a total of $1,925, bringing the night’s total to $21,575
Joining Fornwalt in the Rookie of the Year picture was Caleb Durgan, (Sportsman) Shawn Fountain (Renegade) and JP Corrow (Mini-Stock). The much-anticipated peer-voted Sportsmanship Awards were awarded to Mike Mahaney, (Modified) Jonathan Toohill, (Sportsman) Tyler Irwin (Renegade) and Kenny Tourville (Mini-Stock).
The Dedication Award, given to any individual or group who has demonstrated a commitment to Airborne Park Speedway and motorsports in general, was given to Airborne Park’s head flagger, Ken Marshall. Marshall will be celebrating 50 years of flagging in 2025.
Capping off the night’s festivities, the Leon Gonyo Award was given to George and Julie Huttig, for their outstanding contributions to Airborne Park and motorsports in general. The Huttig family name has been synonymous with Airborne Park Speedway for decades; George won a Limited Sportsman division there in the 1970’s.
A 2025 season rules meeting is expected to be held this winter. Racing is expected to begin earlier in 2025, weather permitting, too. Racers and fans should keep their eyes on the Airborne Park Speedway Facebook page and website for news and updates regarding 2025.
Article Credit: Airborne Park Speedway
Submitted By: Mike Bruno