Austin Theriault: ACT Late Model Tour
Thunder Road Int’l Speedbowl Race Report
BARRE, Vt. – Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, failed to qualify for the ACT Late Model Tour Merchants Bank 150 at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt., on Sunday, May 1. Theriault fought the track position battle through all three rounds of qualifying on the high-banked quarter-mile oval, but in the end the RPM Motorsports driver simply ran out of time in the last-chance qualifying race. A total of 50 cars attempted to make the 30-car starting field
WHO: Austin Theriault, Fort Kent, Maine
TEAM: RPM Motorsports No. 57 Varney Insurance Ford
WHAT: ACT Late Model Tour Merchants Bank 150
WHERE: Thunder Road International Speedbowl, Barre, Vt. (.25-mile oval)
STARTED: DNQ
FINISHED: DNQ
ACT Late Model Tour
LAST RACE: April 17, NH Governor’s Cup 150, Lee USA Speedway, Lee, N.H. (7th-place)
NEXT RACE: May 15, The Big Jab 150, Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, Maine (.375-mile oval)
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AUSTIN, HOW DISAPPOINTED ARE YOU?
We were really fast Saturday (in practice), and I was really looking forward to today. Off the trailer today, we were still really good. We were just unable to get the feel for the car as the track changed. It’s just a tough day.
I don’t want to say it, but you’re going to have tough days. I was talking to (RPM teammate Brian Hoar) in the trailer, and he just said we have to go on to the next race and try not to worry about this.
The crew worked hard all day. They just didn’t quit. After the consi, we made some changes, and in the B feature it was a 180-degree difference. I just ran out of time. I’m definitely disappointed, but you can’t study the past – you have to look forward to the future.
RICK PAYA, RPM MOTORSPORTS TEAM OWNER
RICK, HOW WOULD YOU SUM UP AUSTIN’S DAY?
It’s just a matter of luck in the heat race – wrong place, wrong time. He had a good car all weekend, and he did a great job of learning the track. Other than (the VT Governor’s Cup here last June), it’s really his first time being really competitive here.
Obviously, the outcome wasn’t what we wanted. But, hey, that’s the way it goes sometimes.