Fort Kent native Austin Theriault acknowledges that it isn’t easy to get a full-time ride in a NASCAR series.
“It’s about building relationships with team owners and having them trust you to go out and find sponsors or giving them a reason to go out and help you with sponsors and marketing stuff,” Theriault said. “You hope somebody takes a liking to you and believes in you.”
Theriault has already compiled an impressive resume in his 22 years with three races in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, 10 in the Camping World Truck Series and is now racing in the K and N Pro Series East circuit.
The Xfinity Series is one step below his ultimate goal: the Sprint Cup series. NASCAR’s Camping World Truck and K and N Pro Series East tours are one notch below the Xfinity Series.
Theriault is coming home, or at least as far as Loudon, New Hampshire, for Saturday night’s K and N race, the United Site Services 70 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
There also will be Xfinity (Auto Lotto 200) and Sprint Cup (New Hampshire 301) races this weekend that will give Theriault an opportunity to showcase his talent in front of Sprint Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck team owners.
“That’s one way I could approach it,” said Theriault. “But every weekend I go out there, I expect to win or perform well. You don’t know who’s watching.
“I always have to be professional and lay it all out on the line. You can’t leave anything on the racetrack,” said Theriault, who moved to North Carolina in December 2012 to enhance his chances of eventually becoming a Sprint Cup driver.
Theriault is fifth in points in his first full season in the K and N circuit. He has four top-five finishes in nine races including three in his last four.
He was a career-best second in his last race, the NAPA 150, on July 2 at Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio.
Newburgh native and former Sprint Cup driver Ricky Craven, who had two Sprint Cup wins in his 278 races, and Cherryfield’s Andy Santerre, who won four straight K and N points championships, feel Theriault has the talent and personality to be a Sprint Cup driver.
But that doesn’t guarantee he will get the opportunity to become one.
“The thing he has over everybody else is name recognition,” said Santerre. “Everybody knows who Austin Theriault is. He drove [in the Xfinity Series] for Dale [Earnhardt] Jr. He was with the Venturini team in the ARCA series, and they’re a top ARCA team. He drove for Brad Keselowski [Racing]. There has been nothing but praise for him. Shigeaki loves him. He called him a great driver.”
Santerre was referring to Shigeaki Hattori, who owns the K and N race team.
Craven said Theriault has put himself in a good position and has to capitalize on it.
“He certainly has the skills. It just comes down to maximizing your opportunities. He knows that,” he said.
“Everybody knows he has the personality and the talent. Everybody likes him. He’s a great person. He hasn’t burned any bridges. It just comes down to the almighty dollar,” said Santerre.
Santerre was referring to Theriault’s ability to land sponsors or financial backing, which often dictates whether a driver can land a quality deal.
Theriault had a three-race Xfinity Series deal with JR Motorsports in 2014 and a 13-race Camping World Truck series with BKR (Brad Keselowski Racing) last season although he missed four races after sustaining a compression fracture in his back when BKR teammate Tyler Reddick’s truck spun, hit Theriault’s and it careened into a wall last October at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
He had two top-five and four top-10 finishes in his nine races.
Craven said there isn’t one playbook that defines how to become a Sprint Cup driver.
“There are always going to be obstacles. There will always be adversity, and you have to overcome it,” said Craven.
Craven also said it is important that Theriault “make it clear to people what his ambitions are.”
“Not to the point where it is distracting his efforts, but he has to make it clear that he still aspires to climb the ladder. You have to be your own advocate,” stressed Craven who feels Theriault’s career can already be considered successful.
“The most difficult component to pursuing a professional career as a race car driver is leaving your comfort zone, meaning your home or driving in a series you’re comfortable in or you’ve had success in,” he said.
Santerre said Theriault may eventually have to accept a ride in a backmarker Sprint Cup car, which is a term to describe a slower car that can’t contend for a win.
“If he can prove he can run 20th in a 40th place car, he’ll get a shot,” said Santerre. “The K and N deal will keep his name out there. He’s doing well again. He’s getting better equipment.”
Santerre added that winning races would improve Theriault’s chances of landing a Cup ride, “and everybody knows he’s capable of winning races.”
Theriault is a realist.
“I’ve already gotten a lot farther than I ever dreamed of. I could still be in [Aroostook] County working in the family business,” said Theriault. “This has been another year of growth and experience. I’m learning new things and overcoming obstacles.”
One of those obstacles was the compression fracture he suffered in his back from the wreck with Reddick.
He hasn’t fully recovered but said “I’m back to being 100 percent efficient behind the wheel. The injury doesn’t affect what I do on a day-to-day basis. I’ve come a long way in a short amount of time.”
The man who started racing at Caribou’s Spud Speedway continues to be passionate about the sport and chasing his dream of driving a Sprint Cup car.
He said if he can have success on the track and continue to work on obtaining sponsorships, he knows “eventually, something will work out.”
He is looking forward to Saturday’s race at a familiar track. He finished second to Brian Hoar in an American-Canadian Tour race at NHMS, and he has run there in the Xfinity and Camping World Truck series as well as the K and N series.
“Each time I go there, I feel better and better. I’m definitely confident heading into the race,” said Theriault. “It is the time of year when we need to make a statement. We’ve been getting better every week.”