Babb Scores Emotional First ACT Tour Win at Thunder Road, VT.

Brad Babb  photo Crystal Snape

Posted by Wayne G. Barber

Brad Babb  photo by Alan Ward

Barre, VT—Brad Babb came into the season looking for his first career American-Canadian Tour victory. He and his Joey Laquerre–owned team earned it in perhaps the most dramatic way possible on Sunday, May 3.

Babb took the lead from Scott Dragon with 18 laps to go and went on to win the Merchants Bank 150 at Barre, VT’s Thunder Road. The win came following a pre-race tribute to Laquerre’s late grandson Joey M. Laquerre, leading to an emotional celebration in Victory Lane.

“I just can’t believe we won at Thunder Road,” Windham, ME’s Babb said. “It means the world to me. I can’t even describe it. This is 100% for Lil Joey. I couldn’t do it without Big Joey.”

“It’s beyond words,” the elder Laquerre added. “We’re so excited about it. It’s duly needed. If Lil Joey was here, he’d be very proud.”

Two-time defending “King of the Road” Derrick O’Donnell starting on the pole and lead 25 of the first 26 laps, with ACT Tour point Leader Wayne Helliwell Jr. nosing ahead for a single circuit following a lap 5 restart. However, O’Donnell fell off the pace following the race’s second and final restart on lap 26 with an apparent suspension problem and retired soon after.

Milton, VT’s Dragon came to life on the same restart and swung around Helliwell’s outside to take the lead on lap 33, only to see Graniteville, VT’s Chip Grenier perform the same move on him seven laps later. Grenier darted out to a big lead, but lapped traffic helped to make it a four car race between Grenier, Dragon, Helliwell, and Babb.

Grenier, who had been rim-riding the outside, slipped up in turns 1 and 2 on lap 108 and allowed Dragon to retake the lead. Babb followed through soon after and methodically tracked down Dragon, eventually getting underneath him for the win. Babb also became the first driver to claim the Bond Auto Parts New Champions “Breakout Award” for winning an event and unofficially took the lead in the New Champions point standings.

  Helliwell caught Dragon in the final laps for second, while Dragon settled for third. Joey Polewarczyk Jr., Grenier, Emily Packard, Brandon Atkins, Travis Stearns, Tyler Cahoon, and Cody Blake rounded out the top-10.

  Christopher Pelkey scored a dominating victory in the Bond Auto Tiger Sportsman feature. The S. Barre, VT driver started on the pole and was never seriously challenged in the 35-lap event en route to his fifth career Tiger win.

  Former Champion “Double-O” Joe Steffen finished second, with Mike Martin in third. Doug Crownshield inherited the fourth spot after Camoron Ouellette was disqualified for a suspension violation. Caleb Nelson, Dylan Payea, Eric Johnson, Jason Woodard, Stephen Donahue, and Jeffrey Bousquet completed the top-10.

 Tyler Austin scored his second career victory in the 25-lap Allen Lumber Street Stock feature. Austin, sporting a paint scheme in tribute to Joey M. Laquerre, took the lead early and drove away to the win. Patrick Tibbetts finished second, followed by Gary Mullen, Jamon Perry, Brandon Gray, Jaden Perry, Donny Yates, David Whitcomb, Chris LaForest, and Alan Maynard. The ACT Tour has a week off before heading to Airborne Park Speedway in Plattsburgh, NY on Saturday, May 16 for the Spring Green 115. Post time is 5:00pm. Thunder Road returns to action on Sunday, May 24 for the 53^rd Annual Mekkelsen RV Memorial Day Classic, featuring a 100-lap event for the Thunder Road Late Models and a 150-lap event for the Pro All Star Series Super Late Models. Post time that day will be 1:30pm.

1. ( 4 ) Brad Babb , Windham, ME , 150 Lap
2. ( 2 ) Wayne Helliwell Jr. , Dover, NH , 150 
3.    ( 8 ) Scott Dragon , Milton, VT , 150 Laps

          ( 3 ) Joey Polewarczyk Jr. , Hudson, NH , 150 Laps

          ( 9 ) Chip Grenier , Graniteville, VT , 150 Laps

         ( 23 ) Emily Packard , E. Montpelier, VT , 150 Laps

          ( 6 ) Brandon Atkins , AuSable Forks, NY , 150 Laps

        ( 16 ) Travis Stearns , Auburn, ME , 150 Laps

        ( 17 ) Tyler Cahoon , St. Johnsbury, VT , 149 Laps

        ( 28 ) Cody Blake , Barre, VT , 149 Laps

         ( 7 ) Jeff White , Winthrop, ME , 149 Laps

       ( 10 ) Trampas Demers , S. Burlington, VT , 149 Laps

       ( 21 ) Matt White , Northfield, VT , 149 Laps

        ( 5 ) Brooks Clark , Fayston, VT , 149 Laps

       ( 12 ) Boomer Morris , Barre, VT , 149 Laps

       ( 11 ) Shawn Fleury , Middlesex, VT , 149 Laps

       ( 22 ) Eddie MacDonald , Rowley, MA , 149 Laps

       ( 19 ) Mike Ziter , Barre Town, VT , 149 Laps

       ( 27 ) Joey Laquerre , E. Montpelier, VT , 149 Laps

       ( 26 ) Jason Corliss , Barre, VT , 149 Laps

       ( 29 ) Jimmy Hebert , Williamstown, VT , 149 Laps

       ( 20 ) Phil Scott , Middlesex, VT
      ( 13 ) Kyle Welch , Newport, NH , 148 Laps

      ( 15 ) Mike Bailey , S. Barre, VT , 148 Laps

      ( 30 ) Rowland Robinson, Jr. , Steuben, ME , 144 Laps

      ( 18 ) Eric Williams , Hyde Park, VT , 98 Laps

      ( 14 ) Eric Badore , Milton, VT , 74 Laps

       ( 1 ) Derrick O'Donnell , N. Haverhill, NH , 33 Laps

      ( 25 ) Jason Allen , Barre, VT , 26 Laps

      ( 24 ) Dave Pembroke , Middlesex, VT , 10 Laps

 Lap Leaders: Derrick O'Donnell, 1-5; Wayne Helliwell Jr., 6; O'Donnell, 7-26; Helliwell, 27-33; Scott Dragon, 34-39; Chip Grenier, 40-107; Dragon, 108-132; Brad Babb, 133-150. 7 Lead changes among 5 drivers.

             

Time of Race: 49:36 Margin of Victory: 1.605 seconds

Cautions: 2 (laps 5, 26)

Heat Winners: Wayne Helliwell Jr., Brooks Clark, Brandon Atkins, Jeff White

Consi Winners: Phil Scott, Trampas Demers   B-Feature Winner: Jason Allen

Track Report and Photo P/R Dept.