Flat Tires End Austin Theriault’s PASS North Bid At Oxford Plains
PASS North Series: Austin Theriault
Oxford Plains Speedway Race Report
OXFORD, Maine – Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, finished 25th in the PASS North Series Ripley & Fletcher Ford 150 at Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine, on Saturday, September 28. Theriault suffered flat right-side tires on two different occasions after racing his way into the Top-5 by the midway point of the event. Though the AT Racing No. 57 Pelletier Ford/Daigle Oil Ford raced up as high as sixth on the track by the time the checkered flag flew, Theriault was four laps down and unable to recover from the earlier setback. Theriault qualified ninth out of 48 cars in the field and started 13th by virtue of PASS’ handicapping procedure.
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AT RACING: Austin Theriault Seeks Second Straight PASS North Series Win
PASS North Series: Austin Theriault
Oxford Plains Speedway Race Preview
THE STORY
Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, looks to make it two in a row in PASS North Series competition when he returns to Oxford Plains Speedway in Oxford, Maine, for the PASS Championship 150 on Saturday, September 28. Theriault won the most recent PASS North event, the Southern Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep 300 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway two weeks ago, and he won the season finale at Oxford Plains in 2012 for his first Super Late Model win. He returns to the seat of his family-owned AT Racing No. 57 Pelletier Ford/Daigle Oil Ford for the final PASS event of the 2013 season. Last weekend, Theriault was in his Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla. – an effort cut short by a mechanical failure, and he’s hoping to bounce back from that in his home state at a track where he has three consecutive Top-5 finishes in the Oxford 250.
THE FACTS
WHO: Austin Theriault, Fort Kent, Maine
TEAM: AT Racing No. 57 Pelletier Ford Ford Fusion
BEST CAREER OXFORD PLAINS SPEEDWAY FINISH: 1st (October 2012)
LAST RACE AT OXFORD PLAINS: 4th (July 2013)
WHAT: PASS North Series Championship 150
WHERE: Oxford Plains Speedway, Oxford, Maine (.375-mile oval)
WHEN: Friday, September 27 – 12 noon, practice; Saturday, September 28 – 9 a.m., practice; 1 p.m., qualifying; 4 p.m., race
PASS North Series
LAST RACE: September 15, Southern Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep 300, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, Scarborough, Maine (1st)
DID YOU KNOW?
Austin Theriault has PASS South Series wins this season at Dillon Motor Speedway in Dillon, S.C., and Southern National Motorsports Park in Kenly, N.C., while driving for Brad Keselowski Racing.
Austin Theriault has four career PASS-sanctioned victories, including a win two weeks ago in the longest race on the schedule – the Southern Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep 300 – and the PASS North Series season finale at Oxford Plains Speedway in October of 2012.
Austin Theriault has never finished worse than ninth in a PASS North Series race in his career.
Austin Theriault finished fourth in this summer’s TD Bank Oxford 250, his third consecutive Top-5 finish in the event.
WHAT THEY ARE SAYING
AUSTIN THERIAULT, Driver of the AT Racing No. 57 Pelletier Ford/Daigle Oil Ford Fusion, On any ‘home track’ advantage he might have at Oxford Plains Speedway: “I think we honestly do feel like we have a little bit of an advantage because we’ve had far more races at Oxford than a lot of the PASS guys have. They’ve only been running at Oxford a couple of years, where we’ve had a lot of ACT (Late Model Tour) races at the track. I feel like from a driver’s standpoint, I have more laps at Oxford. I can’t tell you how much or how little it helps, but the more seat time you have, the better things usually go.
“For us, it’s about having more seat time, more time on the track, knowing what to expect from the track as the day goes on. It’s a lot of basic stuff like that, but I think it helps us.”
On running select races in Maine this season: “It comes down to the fact that I think we can compete for wins up here. It’s also nice to not forget where you came from and support the people who supported you for a bunch of years. That’s why I’m racing up north – to support Crazy Horse Racing and all the people who have played a part in my career and made it possible for me to get where I am now.”
On racing at Oxford Plains Speedway: “It’s very unique. You don’t find tracks like these down South. Beech Ridge and Oxford are one of a kind, and I’ve learned a lot racing those tracks. I give them a lot of credit for where I’m at now and how I drive a race car.
“That’s why I enjoy coming to (Oxford), in particular. I don’t find the pressure is on at all. Obviously, we want to perform, and we’re plenty capable of doing that.”
UP NEXT
Austin Theriault heads to one of the most historic races of the year, the Winchester 400 at Winchester Speedway in Winchester, Ind, on Oct. 13… Theriault made his first appearance on the lightning-fast half-mile last season, running with the leaders for most of the event before a mechanical failure took him out of contention.
AT RACING: Austin Theriault Joins Southern Super Series At Five Flags This Weekend
Southern Super Series: Austin Theriault
Five Flags Speedway Race Preview
THE STORY
Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, returns to the Southern Super Series for a key late-season event with the Buddy’s Home Furnishings 125 at Five Flags Speedway in Pensacola, Fla., on Friday, September 20. The race is one of the final long-distance tuneups for December’s prestigious Snowball Derby at Five Flags, and it’s a track where Theriault has had some success in the past. The Brad Keselowski Racing development driver finished fifth at Five Flags in May of 2012, and he enters the race off a win in his family-owned Super Late Model in the Southern Maine Chrysler Dodge Jeep 300 at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine, last weekend for his third win of the 2013 campaign. He qualified for his first Snowball Derby last season, and he finished fourth in the Snowflake 100 the night before the Snowball Derby as part of a double-duty weekend.
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AUSTIN THERIAULT SCORES PASS 400 SUPER LATE MODEL VICTORY AT BEECH RIDGE
AUSTIN THERIAULT SCORES P.A.S.S. 400
SUPER LATE MODEL VICTORY AT BEECH RIDGE
A gorgeous late summer day greeted race fans at the beautiful Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine on Sunday, and they were treated to some great racing in all three P.A.S.S. divisions that participated on the final day of the event.
Young Austin Theriault carried the checkered flag in the 300 lap Super Late Model event, but it was a challenge from the start as he led for the first four laps before outside pole sitter, Corey Bubar took over until a lap 90 restart for a minor spin by Kyle Desouza. At this point racing became intense as some of the top cars were starting to make their way through traffic and were headed to the front. Theriault got the jump on the restart, and Kelly Moore erupted from the fourth spot, and jumped to the second spot at the green. Travis Benjamin also slipped by Bubar, and Michael Landry worked Bubar’s inside for fifth. While Theriault led the race, Bubar battled his way back into the second spot before the caution flew once again for a minor spin in turn two. Suddenly, Travis Benjamin headed to the pits, the hood went up, and apparent mechanical problems eliminated the 2013 TD Bank 250 from any more action.
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