Bobby Babb has clinched his fifth track championship at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. Only four drivers have ever won more at the Scarborough track.

Babb finished third in Pro Series feature Saturday, two places ahead of Bub Bilodeau. Bilodeau trailed Babb by only four points entering the final night of racing.

“It puts him into a real elite group,” said track owner Andy Cusack. “The way I look at it, to win one is great; to win two is notable and to win three is significant. Four is getting up there in legendary status but to win five really seals your place in history.”

Ralph Cusack, Andy’s father, has the most track championships with 12. Dick Wolstenhulme is next with 10, followed by Mike Maietta and Mike Johnson with nine and eight respectively.

Dick Garrett, who won the first track championship in 1949, and Homer Drew each join Babb with five. Babb’s father, Bob Sr., won back-to-back championships in 1976-77.

There were moments during Saturday night’s race that Babb’s fifth championship was in doubt.

On the fourth lap he got into the back of Steven Howard’s No. 03 car and Bilodeau did the same to him.

“There was just a jam up in front of us,” Babb said. “Bilodeau happened to be the guy behind me. I got into (Howard), and (Bilodeau) got into me and turned me around. It was nothing intentional. (Bilodeau) doesn’t race that way. We’ve been good this year together.”

Babb was able to recover quickly and was in fifth place when the race returned to green.

He then went outside to get around Bilodeau and Dan McKeage, eventually moving into third, with Bilodeau in fifth.

“I was (outside) for quite awhile, probably 12-15 laps,” Babb said. “I was driving hard but I didn’t want to overdrive and lose the car either. I really took my time. I cleared him and then I got a little distance.”

There was no need for Babb to do anymore passing after that. Bilodeau, who was fifth on the track, would have needed to finish two spots ahead of Babb to take first in the points.

“Today it hit me,” Babb said after the race. “I was very nervous. Then we got down here and had decent warm-ups. I was nervous but after we got the car out of the truck and put it in the lineup it all went away. I was at peace then. It was almost like I knew I had it even though I didn’t. It was just an inner feeling.”

Cusack remembers Babb’s first race, and describes a young driver who cared only about racing. Now Cusack says it is obvious that Babb’s top priority is his children.

Babb had remained adamant during the season that his main focus was his 16-year-old daughter, Kelsey, who races in the Roadrunner division and 14-year-old son, Bradley, who races with the Whiz Kidz.

“If we win the championship we win it; if we don’t we don’t,” he said earlier in the season. “I just want Kelsey to be there at the end of it and of course Bradley to do a good job. I want the kids to do well before I do.”

Saturday Kelsey had an outside shot of winning the Roadrunner championship, entering the night in third place, 13 points behind eventual champion Tim Caswell.

If Babb could have chosen between a championship for himself or his daughter, which would it have been?

“He would have chosen her,” his wife Carla said, “but it would have been great if both had won.”

Babb echoed the thoughts of his wife.

“I would have loved both,” he said. “If she had won it I probably would have been a mess. She’s my little girl.”

After finishing his Pro Series race Saturday, it was Bradley’s Whiz Kidz race, which immediately followed, that concerned Babb the most. He rushed through post-race technical inspection to see his son race.

“I made them push the car off the scales so I could get back here (to watch),” Babb said. “If I had to I was going to leave the car, go up and watch him and then go back and go through tech. He’s my kid.”

Now with his fifth track championship under his belt, the man who has become a Beech Ridge legend by going fast is going to be slowing down. Babb will not be racing for a championship next season.

“That’s flat out in the open,” he said. “I’m not retiring, but I am not going to be here every week with my car.

Babb will still pick and chose races to participate in next season, but his main focus will remain his kids and their racing.

How does he think the transition will go?

“I’ll probably be in a fight in the corner of the pit or something,” Babb said with a laugh. “I don’t know. It’s going to be very different, but I look forward to it”