News Director 
Story By: KING OF DIRT – FAIR HAVEN, VT – Hindsight is 20/20 the saying goes. To begin the 2022 season Pro Stock drivers were included on the same leaderboard as Sportsman.
Fast forward to fall and it was only fair the premiere full-fender weekly division be recognized separately with top driver Josh Coonradt honored as King of House Manimal and ruler of the full-fender realm.
The King Of Dirt Racing weekly program was perfect on paper heading into the racing season, however sometimes seeing all the moving parts take place and how they affect a driver’s standings can in some instances require, change. That’s exactly what happened with the Pro Stock division for the 2022 summer months.
“The program is still solid, but fact is Pro Stock car counts were down across the board. This made it hard to compare with Sportsman due to their large counts at most places. It meant we (KOD) would see it impact them in the overall picture with bonus points,” said KOD Competition Director of Points and Scoring Rob Hazer.
There were several drivers registered to compete for the KOD crown in 2022 that were Pro Stock racers including Kim Duell from Albany-Saratoga, Luke Horning from Fonda Speedway, Beau Ballard from Utica Rome Speedway, and the aforementioned Josh Coonradt from Utica Rome Speedway. Coonradt and Ballard were also registered weekly at Fonda.
Once you compare Pro Stock drivers to other Pro Stock drivers, there was quite the point battle indeed. Josh Coonradt visited victory lane seven times in 2022 at Utica Rome Speedway, with his total points earned also including four 2nd place finishes, and one 4th place finish. His finishes made him number one among full-fender competitors with a total of 1353 points. A king’s effort driving his Shults Auto Center – Ted’s Body Shop number 00X Manimal Racing Chassis.
Beau Ballard ripped the lip for six wins at Utica Rome in 2022, but it was his consistency and pair of victories at Fonda Speedway that earned him the runner up spot among all registered KOD Pro Stock competitors. Ballard is a track champion on the season, and only missed out on being crown king by a mere seven points driving his Pizza Plus – Kimble Mechanical number 15 Manimal Racing Chassis.
Cousin Luke Horning has that magnetic kind of personality that keeps fans entertained and Playfab in the conversation among chassis manufacturers. Horning registered for KOD calling both Albany-Saratoga and Fonda Speedway home in 2022, with the great race place being his best 12 finishes. He scored a trio of wins at Malta earning him third overall among Pro Stock competitors just nine points out of first driving his West End Towing – Catalytic Recovery number 2H Playfab Racing Chassis.
“We feel it was the right thing to do for Pro Stock drivers since there are so many more Sportsman cars weekly than full fenders. We also felt we had to do something for the champ if we were going to honor a driver as such, which is why we reached out to a couple guys who used to support KOD in the past, and they were awesome in making something happen,” continued Rob Hazer.
Unbeknown to Josh Coonradt, his subsequent championship efforts being the top Pro Stock competitor in 2022 is worth a smooth $500 payday. This is courtesy of some recognizable names who share a love for the division. Devon Camenga from Camenga Construction and Rich Crane from Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment combined efforts in giving KOD Pro Stock Champion Josh Coonradt a monetary reward for his KOD participation.
Devon Camenga not only owns a successful contracting business, which feeds his need for speed, but he’s also a Pro Stock racer who earned his first career win in 2021 after several years of racing in a highly competitive division. He was eager to be part of KOD’s Pro Stock program even on short notice.
Rich Crane toured with KOD Pro Stocks from 2015-2019, so he’s no stranger to the brand. In 2022 he won the biggest Pro Stock race in Albany-Saratoga Speedway history put together in part by Jordan Modiano for Autism Awareness worth $3,000 in which he donated back to the cause. Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment has history with KOD and love for the full-fender division.
“This is good for Josh and a win for the Pro Stock division. We’re rebuilding of sorts with a different kind of program after COVID kind of kicked everything in the tail. I wanted to get in touch with him on the phone prior to dropping any press release, but he was unavailable for comment,” concluded Rob Hazer.
PRO STOCK KOD CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES: Josh Coonradt joins a list of KOD Pro Stock champions that include Jason Casey (2018), Rob Yetman (2017), Robbie Speed (2016), and Nick Stone (2015). Championship hardware and all point fund monies for participating divisions will be mailed out after the holiday season, as no formal banquet is scheduled this season. Special thanks to Camenga Construction and Crane’s Outdoor Power Equipment along with Devon Camenga and Rich Crane for their support of KOD and the Pro Stock division.
- Josh Coonradt (URS) – 7 Wins – 1353 pts.
- Beau Ballard (FON) – 2 Wins – 1347 pts.
- Luke Horning (ALB) – 3 Wins – 1344 pts.
- Rob Yetman (ALB) – 3 Wins – 1340 pts.
- Kim Duell (ALB) – 1 Win – 1318 pts.
- Zach Sorrentino (LVS) – 1 Win – 1301 pts.
- Chris Murray (ALB) – 0 Wins – 1041 pts.
-FINAL 2022 King Of Dirt Racing Pro Stock Points
