Fort Kent’s Austin Theriault said he still can’t touch his toes.
But the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series driver said he feels “50 percent better than I did a week and a half ago,” in the wake of an Oct. 3 crash during a race in Las Vegas that left him with a 10 percent compression fracture in his lower back.
He expects to climb back into his Brad Keselowski Racing truck later this season, though he doubts he will be ready for the Fred’s 250 on Oct. 24.
“I’m the type of person who always has hope, but there are more signs that are saying no (to Talladega) than yes,” Theriault, 21, said. “I try not to get caught up in a timetable (for my return).
“The pain is under control now to where I can continue my daily life almost like it was before. I’m being a little more cautious. I’m not out lifting sandbags and stuff, but I’ve been out driving around, getting to see the people I need to see,” Theriault said.
Theriault sustained the injury when teammate Tyler Reddick lost control of his truck and slid down the track, sideswiping Theriault’s truck and sending it careening up the track into the wall, which did not have the SAFER, or Steel and Foam Energy Reduction, barriers.
“(The accident) was a matter of inches and feet. It was unfortunate, but it could have been worse,” Theriault said. “(After hitting the wall) I knew right off something wasn’t right.”
Theriault undergoes physical therapy several times per week and has been doing exercises at home. He has made sure to get eight hours of sleep every night and that he eats well.
He would like to speed up the process but said he said he isn’t in pain and is getting better every day.
“That leads me to believe I’ll keep getting better. It gets easier to bend without pain or discomfort now,” Theriault, who lives in North Carolina, said.
He feels the fact he was in good shape from working out and was a former high school wrestler helped him.
“If I wasn’t an active person, it could have been worse,” Theriault said.
Theriault signed a 13-race deal with BKR for this season and is 23rd in points despite running just eight of 18 races. He has two top-five finishes and four top 10s.
He noted that they were running eighth at Las Vegas at the time of the accident.
“We were a pit stop away from being in the top five,” Theriault said.
There are five races remaining beginning with Talladega. The others will be at Martinsville (Oct. 31), Texas (Nov. 6), Phoenix (Nov. 13) and Homestead-Miami (Nov. 20).
He said he has been touched by the outpouring of support and has conferred with other drivers, including Keselowski, who have had to rebound from accidents that sidelined them.
“Sometimes, when you’re able to overcome it, you come back even stronger, mentally and physically,” Theriault said.