Austin Theriault is searching for his first Oxford 250 win Sunday
Fort Kent’s Austin Theriault hasn’t run a long-distance auto race since Oct. 14, 2019.
That’s when he was injured in a wreck through the NASCAR Monster Vitality Cup Collection 1000Bulbs.com 500 at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama.
“It was the identical stuff as Las Vegas: neck, again and shoulder,” Theriault mentioned, referring to a earlier harm he sustained in a Tenting World Truck Collection race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway in 2015.
A now-healthy Theriault, 29, will climb into the No. 45 Derek Ming Ford on Sunday evening, on the lookout for his first ever-win on the fiftieth annual Spencer Group Paving Oxford 250 at Oxford Plains Speedway.
He has come shut earlier than, ending second to Morrill’s Travis Benjamin in 2014. That capped a four-year stretch when Theriault posted a pair of third-place finishes in 2011 and 2012 adopted by a fourth in 2013.
Theriault is once more elevating funds by way of the race for the Travis Mills Basis, which helps veterans and their households. Travis Mills, a retired U.S. Military workers sergeant, began the muse after he grew to become a quadruple amputee as the results of an improvised explosive gadget throughout his third tour of responsibility in Afghanistan.
“I wish to win the race and acquire some huge cash for the Travis Mills Basis,” Theriault mentioned.
He ran Ming’s race automotive within the Bessey Motors Tremendous Late Fashions 50-lap race at Oxford Plains Speedway on July 30 and completed tenth.
“It was a very good tune-up for the 250. I used to be capable of knock a number of the rust off,” Theriault mentioned. “We had been actually aggressive. There’s a lot to construct on from that race.”
Bar Harbor Financial institution and Belief is Theriault’s main sponsor.
Theriault, a Republican state consultant for Maine Home District 1, has been concerned in driver growth for a number of years. He works with younger drivers and helps them enhance to allow them to transfer up the ladder in racing.
He has additionally been working with NASCAR Corridor of Famer Ron Hornaday who has his personal Group Hornaday Improvement firm.
Youngsters Landen Lewis and Hudson Bulger are two of the drivers he has labored with.
Theriault put collectively a powerful resume as a driver that included 5 NASCAR Cup Collection races, six Xfinity Collection races and 13 within the Craftsman Truck Collection. He had two top-five and 5 top-10 finishes within the truck sequence.
In 2017, he had a exceptional season within the ARCA Menard’s Collection as he received the factors championship due to seven wins and 16 top-five finishes in 20 races.
Theriault feels he has a automotive able to profitable the race. It’s a Dale Shaw Racecars product.
“The principle factor is to remain on high of how the observe situations change all through the weekend,” mentioned Threriault. “We’ve a very good likelihood to win, however you may by no means take it as a right. A lot can occur in qualifying.”
In a sequence of qualifying warmth races, 68 registered drivers will compete for 43 or 44 beginning spots.
The warmth races start at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, and the 250 often begins round 6:30 p.m.
“The primary secret’s to get within the race, and then you definately don’t wish to go a lap down, particularly in the event you begin towards the again. Your pit technique needs to be good, and if all goes nicely, you’re inside hanging distance within the final 75 laps. That’s all you may ask for,” mentioned Theriault.
The sphere will likely be headlined by three-time Oxford 250 winners Travis Benjamin and Mike Rowe, two-time winners Eddie MacDonald and Ben Rowe and one-time victors in Cole Butcher, Cassius Clark, Johnny Clark, Gary Drew, Curtis Gerry, Glen Luce, Scott Robbins, Bubba Pollard and Jeremie Whorff.
Butcher, who’s from Hantsport, Nova Scotia, is the defending champ. He was the primary Nova Scotian to ever win the race. He was the primary Canadian winner since 1995.
Palmyra’s Max Cookson, the factors chief within the Professional All-Stars Collection Tremendous Late Mannequin North division, can even be a severe contender after ending fifth a yr in the past in his first 250.
