TERRY BABB, 55

By: Richie Murray – USAC Media

Speedway, Indiana (July 10, 2022)………Terry Babb, an accomplished longtime veteran of a variety of open wheel dirt machines, from midgets to champ cars to sprint cars winged and non-winged, passed away on July 9, 2022.  He was 55 years old.

The Decatur, Ill. native was leading a winged sprint car feature event at Farmington, Missouri’s Saint Francois County Raceway on Saturday night when he pulled to the infield and went into cardiac arrest.

Babb had competed in USAC sanctioned events since 1989 and made his final appearance just two weeks ago during a USAC AMSOIL Sprint Car National Championship event at Wisconsin’s Angell Park Speedway, finishing 13th.

In May of 2022, he made his 31st and final USAC Silver Crown start at the Terre Haute (Ind.) Action Track, finishing 9th.  His career best was a 4th place run at the very same track in 2010.  He made a total of 31 career USAC Silver Crown starts dating back to his first appearance in 1989 at the Illinois State Fairgrounds.

Babb qualified for eight USAC National Sprint Car feature events in his career, scoring a 14th in his debut at Tri-City Speedway in Granite City, Ill. in 1990.  With the series in 2010 at 34 Raceway in West Burlington, Iowa, Babb set quick time during qualifying and finished a career best 5th in the main event.

He also recorded eight career USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget starts, notching a best of 9th during the 2018 Shamrock Classic at the Southern Illinois Center where he was also the hard charger after starting 18th.  Babb also made his final series appearance during the inaugural running of the BC39 at The Dirt Track at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 2018, finishing 18th.