Austin Theriault was all of 10 years old when he knew his life’s ambition – to race cars. No, not the Matchbox variety in the dirt of his mother’s flower garden. He wanted a real race car, with all the decals, one that went faster than those around him. The youngster from Fort Kent had no doubts about his future.
Friday, in Portland’s Old Port, Theriault stood in front of a show car adorned with words and images touting Maine and its businesses as part of a news conference to announce his new sponsorship venture. Now 20, Theriault will drive a stock car with the same decals on a speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, next Saturday, racing as part of NASCAR’s Nationwide Series.
Additional Images
With “Maine” emblazoned on the car’s hood, he’ll race for his fellow Mainers, he said. He’ll race in hopes of someday becoming the next Ricky Craven, the Maine driver who won at NASCAR’s highest level more than 10 years ago.
Theriault says he’ll race to give meaning to the phrase Maine work ethic, as Craven did, and other Mainers do building engines or prepping cars behind the scenes in southern race shops.
“They don’t have those jobs because they know somebody,” Theriault said. “They earned their places because they work hard.
“I’m doing the same thing. Sometimes I think, ‘Man, this is hard!’ and I’ve run over some speed bumps. I can’t lie. Sometimes you get those moments when you wonder if you can do it. I brush it aside. I know I can do it.”
Therault is a polite young man with a streak of humility and a touch of humor. He was an honor roll student at Fort Kent Community School and an exceptional wrestler. To have one’s hand raised in victory on a wrestling mat in Fort Kent was a source of civic pride.
Theriault was on the student council. He was always, it seemed, a “yes sir, no ma’am” type of kid. A mature kid who can talk with the wisdom of a 40-year-old. “People tell me I have an old soul,” Theriault said last winter when he was home in Fort Kent for the holidays. “I guess I do.”
Craven, the only Mainer to have won Sprint Cup races, has been a mentor.
“Part of being successful is asking a lot of questions, being curious, being committed and I would describe Austin that way,” Craven said in between taping sessions at ESPN studios in Bristol, Conn, where he is an on-air NASCAR analyst. “He’s calculated, very comfortable in the race car from what I’ve seen and doesn’t have any bad habits.”
Theriault won his first race in a Late Model stock car at Spud Speedway in Caribou five years ago. He has won races at Oxford Plains Speedway and Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough. In June, Theriault won an Automobile Racing Club of America race Michigan International Speedway.
Theriault has raced in two other Nationwide Series events this year. His goal is to win the race next Saturday – the VisitMyrtleBeach.com 300 – or certainly run up front to give himself and Maine the exposure both need.
If he does, Theriault has a chance to attract more sponsors and more money that will enable him to further his NASCAR career. Talent alone won’t put Theriault in the driver’s seat. His three-race Nationwide Series deal with JR Motorsports, owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr. offers no guarantees.
Theriault needs lots of money. A million dollars and more could get him through the full Nationwide Series, one level below NASCAR’s elite Sprint Cup Series. In a sport where dozens of talented young drivers hope to get noticed and sponsored, Theriault is separating himself from the pack with his Maine brand.
To race alongside six-time Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson and Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch and the 40 or so other Sprint Cup drivers, Theriault would need tens of millions of dollars or more from sponsors for a full season.
Can Theriault win?
“That’s not the most difficult hurdle to clear,” Craven said. “Missing that opportunity (to move up NASCAR’s ladder) because you’re not prepared for it to happen is crucial. You rarely get second chances if at all.”
The advice has been simple: don’t give up, be yourself, work hard and find the people who believe in you. Most importantly, don’t stop believing in yourself. Not surprisingly, Terry and Steve Theriault have told their son the same thing.
“This is his comfort zone,” Terry Theriault said, watching her son talk racing with the media and fans. “He’s worked hard. He’s done it step by step.”
Austin Theriault returns to his roots for a race this weekend at Beech Ridge. Afterward, he heads south. He has promotional appearances to make with his race car in Kentucky. He has to prepare for next Saturday’s race.
Craven will be in the broadcast booth for ESPN. A Mainer gets the chance to talk about another Mainer and a future that beckons.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
