2011-03-02

ACT NEWS : Sophomore Drivers Babb and Theriault Ready for 2011 ACT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                             ACT-030211-12

Waterbury, VT – After competing in one of the closest Rookie of the Year battles in American Canadian Tour (ACT) history, Windham, Maine’s Brad Babb and Fort Kent, Maine’s Austin Theriault are ready for 2011. The two finished just three points apart in the 2010 Rookie of the Year standings.

 

Babb came out on top of the standings and claimed the 2010 ACT Rookie of the Year honors after capturing his first career top five in the season finale at Waterford (CT) Speedbowl. With the help of his crew chief and father, Bobby, a former ACT competitor, he also earned an impressive sixth place in the 2010 ACT standings.

Babb is in his senior year of high school, but has made time to work for his father’s logging company, snowmobile and prepare the car over the winter months. “We only have a couple small things left. If Lee (the 2011 season opener) was next week we’d be ready,” said Babb.

The 18 year old has now seen nearly every track on the 2011 ACT schedule and credits the 2010 season for teaching him how to adapt to new tracks. He hopes to use that knowledge to better his 6th place effort in the 2010 standings and top his career high 5th place finish at Waterford last October.

“We’d really like to finish in the top five in the standings and win a couple races, but we’ll see how everything goes before we set too high of goals,” said Babb. “I’m really looking forward to going back to White Mountain (Motorsports Park). We were going pretty good there before we broke (in 2010).” The White Mountain 150 was Babb’s only finish outside of the top 20 and the only event he did not finish.

Fellow Maine resident, Theriault has joined forces with Rick Paya Motorsports (RPM) of Georgia, Vermont, during the off season. RPM has won the ACT Late Model Tour Championship the past two seasons with driver Brian Hoar. Theriault had a successful rookie season in 2010, earning his first career top five with a second at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. He also took second in the rookie standings and seventh in the overall standings.

The 17 year old high school student took a break from his varsity wrestling schedule this winter to join his new team at the 2011 Goodyear Speedweeks Cup at New Smyrna Speedway in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. He started his sophomore season early with a respectable 13th place finish in the Cup standings with an 11th and 16th place effort in the two 100 lap events.

“I’m really looking forward to this year. I’m still just grateful to be driving an RPM car,” Theriault said. “We’re still working on the team chemistry with a brand new car.”

Babb will kick off his sophomore season and Theriault will continue his in the ACT season opening New Hampshire Governor’s Cup 150 at Lee USA Speedway in Lee, New Hampshire on Sunday, April 17.

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