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.