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This past Sunday, the Pro All Star Series voyaged up to Spud Speedway in Caribou, Maine for the track’s second annual “Firecracker 200” event, a day of racing which included an 150-lap PASS Super Late Model Race and a 50-lap PASS Modified race.
Nick Sweet was fast all day during practice and his heat and he pulled away with the early lead in the main event. Brandon Barker was on the move in the early laps, breaking the top 3 on lap 5. Ben Rowe was also climbing through the field, overtaking Bobby Therrien for fourth on lap 28. By lap 35, the leaders were already catching the tail-end of the field.
DJ Shaw was on a voyage to the front of the field, challenging Andy Saunders for fifth on lap 41. He completed the pass and had made his way up to third by lap 52. Ben Rowe was still in hot pursuit, all over Brandon Barker for fourth on lap 56. Aroostook county native, Kirk Thibeau, fell off-pace on lap 69, coming to a stop in turn 4. The incident led to the first caution of the feature.
As Nick Sweet pulled away with the lead once again on the restart, DJ Shaw began challenging Shawn Martin for the runner-up spot, taking over the position on lap 78. Last year’s race winner, Derek Griffith, was also coming through the field, challenging Brandon Barker for the runner-up spot on lap 91. The two drivers made contact the following lap and Griffith went for a spin on the front stretch. Mike Hopkins clipped him as he went around and the incident led to a mid-race caution.
DJ Shaw was all over Nick Sweet for the lead on the restart, making his way to his inside on lap 96. Shawn Martin had a belt failure on lap 99, causing him to fall to the back of the pack. He came to a stop in turn 3 just two laps later, bringing out the yellow and taking Martin out of contention for the win.
DJ Shaw and Nick Sweet were head-to-head again on the restart, with Shaw finally taking over the spot on lap 112. Scott McDaniel blew a tire on lap 115, causing him to come to a slow on the backstretch. The incident led to a late-race caution.
Derek Griffith was on the move in the closing laps of the feature after his earlier incident in the race, challenging Garrett Hall for third on lap 125. Kirk Thibeau had a tire go down on lap 128 and made it to the pits before drawing out another yellow.
There was a top-2 breakaway at the front of the field with just 15 laps to go. Ben Rowe took over fourth place with just ten laps to go and then got to work on Garrett Hall for third, finally taking over the spot on lap 96.
DJ Shaw took home the feature victory, scoring redemption after losing out on the victory just one year ago at Spud Speedway. Nick Sweet, Ben Rowe, Garrett Hall and Derek Griffifth rounded out the top five. Austin Theriault, a Fort Kent native that just made his first two career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series starts, came home in sixth place.
Official Results:
1) 60 – DJ Shaw
2) 40vt – Nick Sweet
3) 4n – Ben Rowe
4) 94 – Garrett Hall
5) 12g – Derek Griffith
6) 57 – Austin Theriault
7) 01 – Andy Saunders
8) 47 – Gabe Brown
9) 96 – Wyatt Alexander
10) 8 – Mike Rowe
11) 14 – Scott McDaniel
12) 97 – Chris Duncan
13) 28 – Kirk Thibeau
14) 5x – Bobby Therrien
15) 94x – Shawn Martin
16) 75 – Gary Smith
17) 16 – Brandon Barker
18) 15 – Mike Hopkins
The Pro All Star Series put on one Heck of a show for the county at Spud Speedway, leaving fans already excited for next year’s event!
You can catch the Pro All Star Series next this coming Sunday, August 11th, at Oxford Plains Speedway. The racing kicks off at 5:00 pm. See you there!
Thank you to my website sponsors, Texas Roadhouse Scarborough, Four Season Synthetic and Drown Excavation. Your support is more than appreciated!
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Cole Custer and Christopher Bell started on the front row for the event, with Bell pulling away with the early lead. By lap 115, Bell had stretched his lead to nearly a full straightaway over his competitors.
Bell dominated the race, leading 186 of 200 laps before picking up the checkered flag. He continues to display dominance at the Magic Mile, capturing 3 wins in his last 4 starts at the track.
Cole Custer, Justin Allgaier, Tyler Reddick and Paul Menard also impressed on Saturday, rounding out the top five.
The 24-year-old is on the fast track to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series with his impressive resume and growing experience piloting the #20 machine for Joe Gibbs Racing. Bell has 5 wins with the team so far in 2019.
Bell, who is also the 2017 NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (now the Gander Outdoors Truck Series) champion, continues to be grateful for his experiences. “They provide me with fast race cars…I’m just really grateful to be here with Joe Gibbs Racing,” he exlaimed in his Victory Lane speech. This is Bell’s fifth win of the 2019 season and he’s certainly on the right to becoming the 2019 NASCAR Xfinity Series champion.’
On Sunday, the track hosted the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series’ Foxwoods Resort Casino 301. With just 7 races remaining until the NASCAR playoffs begin, this weekend was pivotal for those drivers that are on the outside looking in.
Throughout the course of the weekend, hot temperatures (it was the hottest race weekend in NHMS history) made for a slick track and many frontrunners fell victim to the track during both practice and qualifying. 5 drivers were forced to go to backup cars, including Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, William Byron and Alex Bowman, who was actually forced into his teammate Jimmie Johnson’s backup car after blowing up his primary car in qualifying and making hard impact with the wall in his backup car during practice.
There were many “hometown” drivers in the field on Sunday, including the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, Joey Logano. This race weekend marked the ten year anniversary of Joey’s first career Cup Series win at NHMS. NHMS is also home to MENCS rookie Ryan Preece and Martin Truex, Jr., who both grew up racing modifieds at the track.
Fort Kent, Maine native Austin Theriault and Andy Seuss, from Hampstead, New Hampshire, also made their first career Cup Series starts on Sunday afternoon. Both drivers were behind the wheel for Rick Ware Racing and were the “talk of the town” amongst race fans throughout the course of the weekend. Seuss went on to finish 28th (RWR’s top finish to date) and Austin Theriault battled mechanical issues and was forced to retire from the race early, resulting in a 35th place finish.
Fan favorite, Chase Elliott, also struggled, falling victim to mechanical issues on lap 110 which resulted in the driver going multiple laps down. His Hendrick Motorsports teammate, Jimmie Johnson, also faced mechanical issues as he lost power steering on lap 145, resulting in the driver losing multiple laps and being pushed back underneath the cutoff line for the upcoming playoffs.
Kyle Busch dominated the early laps of the race, but he made contact with the turn 2 wall on lap 214 and was never able to dial it back in after the impact. Kyle took home a top ten finish, but it wasn’t the finish that the #18 team was hoping for after such a strong performance all weekend.
Kevin Harvick and Denny Hamlin battled it out for the win in the closing laps of the race, putting on a spectacle for the fans. Harvick pulled away following the final caution, but Hamlin was able to reel him in over the course of the closing laps as he used lap traffic to his advantage.
The two drivers were neck & neck coming into the final lap and Hamlin pulled alongside Harvick coming into turn 2, giving Harvick a nudge. The two drivers continued to battle it out tooth & nail for position and Harvick returned the favor to Hamlin coming out of turn 4. It was a dog fight to the finish, but Harvick was able to hold off Hamlin for the victory.
Erik Jones, Ryan Blaney and Matt DiBenedetto rounded out the top five and the top-5 finish was another career best for DiBenedetto, making this his second top five finish of the 2019 season.
As surprising as it may be, the victory was not only Harvick’s first victory of the 2019 season, it was also the first victory for Stewart HAAS Racing in 2019. In his post-race press conference in the Media Center, Harvick openly admitted that there were only 2 options on Sunday: He was either going home on the wrecker or coming home with the trophy.
While celebrating on the frontstretch, Harvick thanked the fans for sticking it out over the course of the hot weekend and reminisced on his past victories in New England, referencing his Oxford 250 victory back in 2007. “I just stood on the brakes…I waited until he came to me and I just put a wheel on him,” he explained his thoughts on the last lap to the crowd before hopping back into his car to celebrate in Victory Lane with his team and his son, Keelan.
This is Harvick’s fourth career win at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, which ties Jeff Burton’s record at the track. He has also won three out of his last five races at the speedway and looks to continue this success in the future.
Both Kevin Harvick and Christopher Bell continue to blow away the competition at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and it will be exciting to see if both drivers can excel at the track for years to come!
Neither driver will be returning to the track in 2019, but New Hampshire Motor Speedway will be hosting their second annual Full Throttle Fall Weekend on Friday, September 20th and Saturday, September 21st. That weekend, you can catch the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, the NASCAR Pinty’s Series and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East.
See you there!
Our thoughts are also with the Kaulig Racing family and Nick Harrison’s family and friends. Godspeed, Nick. You will be missed by many.
Thank you to my website sponsors, Texas Roadhouse Scarborough, Four Season Synthetic and Drown Excavation, for all of your support! It’s more than appreciated!
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NASCAR’S highest ranks return to the Magic Mile July 19-21 for the track’s annual Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 race weekend. The weekend is jam-packed with exciting racing action from U.S. Legends Cars all the way up to the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, where fans are able to see the stars of the sport battling it out for 301 laps.
The weekend starts out on Friday with the track’s Cape Cod Cafe Pole Day featuring a day full of practices for all four premier divisions, qualifying for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, a timed 30-minute NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour All Star Shootout, and the inaugural “Friday Night Dirt Duels” on the new quarter mile dirt track on NHMS grounds, located directly behind the Northeast Motorsports Museum.
Connecticut native, Ryan Preece, will be returning to his roots and competing in the All Star Shootout on Friday, joining his weekly MENCS competitor, Ryan Newman, among many others. Preece, in his rookie season with JTG Daugherty Racing, has one top 5 finish, three top 10 finishes and five top 10 finishes in his first 19 starts. This includes his season-best third-place finish at Talladega Superspeedway earlier this season. Preece will be looking to impress his hometown crowd over the course of the weekend and has in recent years, scoring impressive finishes in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and Whelen Modified Tour in years past.
Another Connecticut native and our reigning Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion, Joey Logano, will also be honored by the Northeast Motorsports Museum on Friday night for his recent accomplishments in the sport and his charitable endeavors over the years. This race weekend marks the 10-year anniversary of Logano’s first career win in the Cup Series and this is the driver’s first trip back to NHMS after capturing the championship title. Logano and his wife, Brittany, will both be in attendance at the event, celebrating the driver’s accomplishments as a unified family.
The Dirt Duels will be run on the new “flat track”, a quarter-mile dirt track that will be featuring racing under the lights. This will be the first race under the lights in the track’s history. NASCAR regulars, Corey Lajoie and Daniel Hemric, will be competing in the 35-lap U.S. Legends Cars International event, and Ryan Blaney will be the Grand Marshall for the event. $2,000 will be awarded to the winner, which is the biggest purse for a Legends race in the New England region this year. Practices begin at 6:00 pm with heat races to follow at 7:00 pm. The USAC Dirt Midgets will also be racing a 30-lap feature on Friday night. The flat track is “standing room only” and fans are strongly encouraged to bring their own chairs and/or blankets to sit on. $3 draft beer and hot dogs will be sold and tickets include garage AND pit access and cost $10 for adults. Children 12 and under get free admission to the event. This is a great and affordable way to see some of the biggest stars of the sport battling it out with our local short track heroes!
Friday’s racing action is followed by a “tripleheader” Saturday, featuring the Whelen Modified Tour Eastern Propane & Oil 100 at 2:00 pm, the Xfinity Series’ Roxor 200 at 4:00 pm and the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East United Site Services 70 at 6:45 pm. Christopher Bell is the defending winner of the Xfinity Series race, Chase Dowling is the defending winner of the Whelen Modified Tour race and Tyler Ankrum is last year’s winner of the K&N race.
Sunday is the Foxwoods Resort & Casino 301, the premier event of the race weekend featuring the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. The race will begin at 3:00 pm, with driver introductions beginning at 2:20 pm and a pre-race show by country group, Love and Theft, at 12:00 pm.
Sunday marks the first career MENCS starts for two local drivers, Andy Seuss and Austin Theriault. Seuss, from Hampstead, New Hampshire, is a 2-time NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour champion and has also raced part-time in the ARCA Series in recent years. Both drivers will be racing for the small (yet mighty) Rick Ware Racing team.
Theriault is from Fort Kent, ME, was the 2017 ARCA champion. Theriault dominated the 2017 season, picking up a handful of wins. Race fans across New England were shocked when Austin announced that he would not be racing in the ARCA Racing Series in 2018 due to funding troubles. This was a roadblock in his career, but Austin has kept focused and has made some appearances in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series since, as well as making local appearances in Pro All Star Series North events and taking on a mentorship role/ownership stake at Crazy Horse Racing, which is based out of South Paris, Maine. Theriault’s car will be sponsored by both Bangor Savings Bank and Cross Insurance, who have supported Theriault throughout this racing career.
The track is also the “home track” for some other big names in the Cup Series, including Go Fas Racing team owner, Archie St. Hillaire. Archie hails from Old Orchard Beach, Maine and makes frequent trips back to the Pine Tree state. Both Archie and Go Fas Racing driver, Corey Lajoie, will be making a public appearance this upcoming Wednesday, July 17th, at Bentley’s Saloon in Arundel, Maine. Corey’s #32 car will be displayed and it will be sponsored by a handful of local business in Maine, including Weirs Buick GMC. Archie and Corey graciously donated a replica hood from Corey’s famous Old Spice “beard car” to a local fundraiser raising money for a local racing family going through an unbelievable hardship, the McKeen family. The McKeen family calls local NASCAR Home Track, Beech Ridge Motor Speedway, home. Both Archie and Corey will be presenting this hood at Bentley’s to the highest bidder and the winner of the hood, which will be a special and commemorative moment for all involved. This event will be taking place from 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm on Wednesday and Austin Theriault will also be in attendance.
Kyle Larson’s spotter, Derek Kneeland, is a Windham, Maine native and has his own “fan club” in New England. Larson has been fast in both qualifying and practice in recent years at the track, but is yet to capture a win at NHMS. Kneeland is looking to help guide the #42 team to the checkered on Sunday.
This race weekend is the most anticipated race weekend in New England, providing a well-selected and wide variety of racing that fans from across the country (and even Canada!) will enjoy over the span of the 3-day weekend. Come out and support your favorite drivers on the biggest stage in New England. See you there!
Thank you to my website sponsors, Texas Roadhouse Scarborough, Four Season Synthetic and Drown Excavation. None of this would be possible without you!
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Competitive racing had not seen the light of day at Spud Speedway in Caribou since the track closed in 2015. But, that all changed on Tuesday night with the running of the inaugural Pro All Star Series Firecracker 200.
Drivers from both Canada and the United States made the voyage to “The County” on Tuesday for the event, which was a qualifying event for the drivers choice of the Oxford 250 or the inaugural “Commonwealth Classic” at Richmond Raceway. The top-5 finishers in the event received a provisional for the race of their choice. On top of that, the race had a $5,000 purse going toward the race winner.
Chatter about the race exploded last Wednesday when 2017 ARCA champion and Maine native, Austin Theriault, made the announcement that he would be returning to Northern Maine for the event. Wiscasset Speedway’s Wyatt Alexander, a Valvoline “Fast Track to Fame” finalist, also made the trip back to Maine from his new home in Charlotte, North Carolina for the event.
Former Spud Speedway regular, Kirk Thibeau, was the “hometown hero” in the Pro All Star Series event, being greeted by a crowd of cheers as he was introduced to the crowd.
Kyle DeSouza took a massive hit in the second practice when his #10 machine went off track in turn 1, resulting in his car flipping. DeSouza was able to walk away from the carnage, but his car suffered from intense cosmetic damage and he was unable to return to the track.
Fan-favorite Austin Theriault had good speeds in all 3 practices, but he lost a clutch prior to qualifying. Due to this, Theriault was unable to participate in his qualifying heat, forcing him to start at the rear for the feature.
New Hampshire native, Derek Griffith and Scarborough, Maine driver, Garrett Hall, started on the front row for the first 15-lap qualifying heat. Griffith ran away with the lead on lap 3 as drivers battled it out for position behind him. As Griffith ran away with it, DJ Shaw made a last-minute dive to the inside of Garrett Hall for the runner-up spot and succeeded.
Canadian driver, Kyle Reid, started on the pole in the second heat. Greg Fahey stole the lead away from Kyle Reid in the early laps, but Travis Benjamin was on the move behind them. Benjamin quickly stole away the runner-up spot from Kyle Reid, then succeeded in taking over the lead the following lap. Benjamin took home the second heat victory, followed by Greg Fahey.
Ben Rowe and another Canadian driver, Cole Butcher, started on the front row for the third and final Pro All Star Series heat. Cole Butcher pulled away with the early lead as hometown favorite, Tharren MacDougal, pulled off-track in the early laps. Cole Butcher took home the heat win, but after the checkered flag waved, Scott McDaniel took a nasty hit into the turn 1 tires. Both the driver and car were okay, but it was a scary moment for the driver of the #14 machine.
After the Pro All Star Series heats were completed, there was a 50-lap Street Stocks race, which was put on by Speedway 95 promoter, Chuck Hall. The race was also a qualifier for the upcoming Ikey Dorr Memorial Street Stock race at Speedway 95. Bryan Robbins took home the victory on Tuesday night, locking himself into the event.
Garrett Hall and Kyle Reid started on the front row for the main event, the Firecracker 200. It was announced at the start of the race that Austin Theriault would be starting the race with no clutch, resulting in his #57 car being pushed on the track by the push truck.
Garrett Hall took the early lead as Tharren MacDougal retired to the pits in the early laps of the race. Cassius Clark, Chris Duncan and Johnny Clark were all involved in an incident on lap 9 in turn 3, resulting in the first caution of the feature.
Ben Rowe was on the move on the restart, challenging Garrett Hall for the lead. He briefly stole the lead away on lap 12, but suddenly fell back through the pack due to a tire going down. This led to the second caution of the feature. Under the caution the #57 of Austin Theriault faced electrical issues and was forced to retire from the race sooner than anticipated.
It was a heartbreaking moment for the #57 team, but Austin was a great sport about the entire ordeal and joined the PASS announcers in the booth shortly after he parked his car for the night.
Garrett Hall and Wyatt Alexander restarted on the front row as Eddie MacDonald quickly made his way up to the third spot behind them. The #23 of Lonnie Sommerville went hard into the tires in turn 1 on lap 21, going airborne for a moment. Thankfully, Sommerville was able to walk away from the wreck.
DJ Shaw broke the top 5 once the field went back to green, powering his way through the field. By lap 30, there was a 5-car breakaway at the front of the pack. Derek Griffith made his way into the runner-up spot on lap 36 as fan-favorite, Wyatt Alexander, fell back to fourth.
Griffith made his way to the inside of Garrett Hall for the lead on lap 45, with DJ Shaw joining the battle a handful of laps later on lap 52. Shaw made his way around Griffith on lap 58, powering his way into the lead shortly after the maneuver.
Derek Griffith made his way around Garrett Hall for the runner-up spot on lap 87, setting his eyes on DJ Shaw at the front of the pack. Using lap traffic to his advantage, Griffith was inching closer and closer to the #60 car. A competition caution was enforced on lap 125, allowing all drivers to come down to the pits for a fuel and tire change.
Derek Griffith was able to wrangle the lead away from DJ Shaw on the restart, only to have it stolen back from him on lap 133. Cassius Clark was on the move after the competition caution, sliding into the runner-up spot on lap 134. The #42 of Kyle Reid took a hard spin on lap 157, leading to another caution.
Derek Griffith kept fighting, making his way back into the runner-up spot on the restart. The #14 of Scott McDaniel went off-track and into the grass in turn 2 on lap 169, leading to another late-race caution.
Kyle Reid, Greg Fahey, Chris Duncan and Garrett Hall all caught a piece of a wreck in turn 4 after the restart, resulting in another caution.
By lap 177, Griffith had powered his way back into the lead once more. Things weren’t looking too promising as the #12g car began to overheat on lap 188. Somehow, Derek managed to hold onto it to win the Firecracker 200.
DJ Shaw, Cassius Clark, Eddie MacDonald and Mike Hopkins rounded out the top five.
Griffith elected to use his provisional for Richmond, as DJ Shaw and Cassius Clark both elected to use their provisional’s for the Oxford 250.
The 200 was followed by a 50-lap Enduro race, which was won by an Oxford Plains Speedway driver, Josh Knoll.
A beautiful fireworks display followed, rounding out the fantastic night full of racing.
The crowd count was great in both the grandstands and in the pits. At one point, the pit greeters ran out of wristbands and had to run to get more. Crowd counts exceeded the track’s expectations, plus the track was able to raise over $10,000 for the Catholic Charities’ “Feed the County” program.
The facility was unique, the track staff was more than helpful and the competition kept things really exciting. Overall, it was an amazing experience, and I can’t wait to see where the future lies for Spud Speedway.
Thank you SO much to my incredible sponsor, Drown Excavation, for sponsoring my trip up to Caribou. None of this would have been possible without Scott Drown. PLEASE go give his business a like on Facebook and contact Drown Excavation for all of your excavation and demolition needs!
Please also visit my other website sponsor, Four Season Synthetic, for all of your oil performance needs!
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Spud Speedway is nestled in the heart of “the county” in Caribou, Maine. These days, you don’t see much racing at the speedway, but that’s all going to change this upcoming Tuesday, July 3rd.
The speedway will be welcoming the Pro All Star Series back to the county with an ultra special 200-lap event, the Firecracker 200. The event is presented by Aroostook Savings and Loan and will be the track’s single racing event of the season.
This will only be the second time ever that the Pro All Star Series has made a trip up to Spud Speedway. The event will be a qualifier for either the Oxford 250 or the inaugural “Commonwealth Classic” at Richmond Raceway in the fall. The top-5 finishers will receive a provisional to race in the event of their choice. A lot is on the line with the qualifier and the winning prize of $5,000.
This week, there has been a lot of buzz generating around the event as 2017 ARCA champion and Fort Kent native, Austin Theriault, announced that he is making the trip back up to Spud Speedway to compete in the event. Maine writer and radio personality, Tom Hale, hopes that Austin’s presence at the race will bring in fans from the St. John Valley area, increasing the crowd count and bringing more happy faces into the stands.
Other notable drivers that will be competing in the event include Derek Griffith, DJ Shaw, Ben Rowe, Cassius Clark and Wyatt Alexander. Wyatt’s home track is Wiscasset Speedway and he’s excited to come to Northern Maine for the event.
According to Tom Hale, Wyatt was up at Spud not too long ago to turn some laps at the track. He was the only driver since 2015 to hit the speedway for practice, which was pretty monumental for both Wyatt and Spud Speedway. 2018 has been a busy year for Wyatt, as he’s been attending school full-time at the University of North Carolina down in Charlotte. He’s also a finalist in the Valvoline “Fast Track to Fame” contest, where the grand prize winner will receive sponsorship and race experiences that are valued at $50,000.
The event will also bring some drivers down from Speedway 660 in Canada. Chris Duncan, Kyle Reid, Greg Fahey and Lonnie Sommerville are among the Canadian natives that are on the entry list for the event. Kirk Thibeau is also the big-time “hometown hero” from Aroostook County that is entered into the event.
The event will also feature a 50-lap Enduro race, where Bobby Anderson will be competing. Tom Hale notes that Anderson is “probably the most-winning driver ever at Spud Speedway,” seeing that he’s won more Enduro races than you could ever count. Anderson’s step-son, Josh Knoll, is also rumored to be coming up from Southern Maine to compete in the event.
The night will be capped off with a beautiful fireworks display, which is sure to be a sight to see and an event for the whole family to enjoy.
Community involvement has been instrumental throughout the entire process of making this race become a reality for track owner Troy Haney and team. Businesses and fans are encouraged to become “lap sponsors” to help both the drivers and “Feed the County“, a program established by Catholic Charities that supplies 25 food pantries across Northern Maine.
For every $50 lap sponsor, $35 will go towards Feed the County and $15 will go towards a bonus for the racers. There are different levels of lap sponsors, from “friend” lap sponsors to “platinum” lap sponsors. All levels have different perks, ranging from physical lap displays to free race passes and advertising. You can learn more about lap sponsorship packages on the Pro All Star Series website.
Troy Haney and his team at Haney’s Building Specialties have been hard at work over the past month getting the track race-ready. Tom Hale says that 505 bleacher planks were removed, replaced and repainted for the event. In addition to this, over 1,000 feet of fencing has been replaced and some pole reconstruction has been done. Caution lights have also been properly mounted, ensuring driver and crew safety for the event.
If the event is successful and garners enough fan attention, there is a chance that we could see a limited schedule at Spud Speedway in 2019.
The fate of this event lies in the hands of Maine race fans. It’s important to support the track’s resurgence and support the drivers that we’ve come to know and love.
The event doesn’t begin until 7:00 pm, so that leaves plenty of time to make the trip to Spud Speedway from any location here in Maine, or even New Hampshire.
Please join us in supporting Spud Speedway and their efforts to bring racing back to Northern Maine.
We hope to see you there!
For more event details, click here.
The trip to Spud Speedway wouldn’t be possible without my awesome website sponsor, Drown Excavation. Drown Excavation is sponsoring our trip up to Northern Maine, helping reduce the stress of the long trip to the County. Contact them today for all of your demolition and excavation needs! With over 30 years of experience, they are sure to get the job done right! Give them a like on Facebook today!
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What do you do when you go from completely dominating a series one season to being out of a ride the next? To Austin Theriault, the one and only option is to not give up and keep fighting.
In a day and age where racing has become vastly expensive and sponsorship’s are a hot topic, the fact that Austin is sitting on the sidelines in 2018 is clearly not due to lack of talent, but lack of funding. With the entire state of Maine cheering him on, the Fort Kent native showed the nation his talent when he sailed away with the 2017 ARCA Series Championship.
In 2017, Ken Schrader Racing opened doors for Austin Theriault, who piloted the #52 car for the full ARCA season. After winning the season opener at Daytona International Speedway, the season only got better from there. Austin went on to win 7 races over the course of the season, tackling a 20-race season that includes 2 dirt tracks, 9 short tracks, 8 super speedways and one road course. Austin dominated on both the pavement and the dirt, which resulted in a 4.2 average finish for the entire season. This was the best average finish for the season in 33 years. How did it all come together for Austin in 2017? It all comes down to great communication and a competitive spirit among Austin and the entire crew.
Austin is equipped with a highly competitive yet grounded mindset. “I like to be competitive and I’ll do everything possible to be competitive. We exceeded everyone’s expectations last season and I exceeded my own expectations. Communication among the team was really good. With a great team behind me, we made our own luck,” he details. In 2017, Austin was out to prove that you didn’t need to have top of the line equipment and substantial financial backing to win races. Although he competed for the entire season, a few races still went unsponsored. That didn’t stop the team as they continued to dominate the competition. “When you put your mind to something, you can achieve it. It’s all about the people you have around you,” he says. You can hear the pride in Austin’s voice as he talks about last season, but he’d be lying if he said that he wasn’t disappointed about not being able to do it all again in 2018.
Just a few short weeks before racing season started, the racing world was in shock upon hearing that Austin wouldn’t be back in a full-time ride in 2018. After his completely dominant season last year, fans we’re fully expecting Austin to move into the upper divisions of NASCAR or defend his title in the ARCA Series. “It seems easier getting to Victory Lane than it does finding rides in this sport at times,” he shared in a recent post on his Facebook page. The driving force behind Austin’s inability to get back into a full-time ride in 2018 is the lack of sponsorship’s and financial backing, but Austin stresses that those factors are just a small percentage of what has to come together every week to be able to compete. He admits that his road since last season hasn’t been easy by any means, but he tries his best not to dwell on the situation and become too negative. “You never know what’s going to happen,” he says, reminding everyone of his optimistic views for the future.
Austin shares his views on the ever-changing sport of NASCAR, pointing out that work needs to be done at all levels of the sport to keep the fans engaged. He wholeheartedly agrees with NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series driver Kevin Harvick, who recently spoke up to the media about how we need to bring homegrown, short-track racing back into the sport. He thinks that it would be a smart idea to bring short tracks like Iowa Speedway and Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville onto the MENCS schedule. But, the sport and the tracks would have to work on making the tracks accessible and comfortable for such a high volume of race fans. He says that fans live for seeing side-by-side racing, and the sport is missing the mark on that with certain tracks. “Changes are tough, and that’s why things take time,” he says. Austin also believes that cost-cutting is important in helping teams remain competitive with one another.
When talking about the money of the business, Austin points out that there are huge discrepancies in the top levels of NASCAR between the top-tier teams like Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing and low-budget teams like Go Fas Racing. Austin is a fan of the Spec Motor System implemented in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, saying that the program works on cost-cutting and helping teams be more competitive. An even playing field is what he’d like to see, saying that everyone should feel like they have a chance at every track, not just at super speedway’s. “I don’t really like excuses,” he says. He reiterates that there’s still a lot of work to be done in the sport between purses, tracks on the schedule, fan interactions and more. In a sport that can be wildly frustrating at times, it can be hard to stay positive. But, remaining positive is key when it comes to being successful.
Austin compares remaining positive to brushing your teeth; it’s something that you have to do, without question. “All successful people are positive; you won’t get anywhere if you’re negative all the time,” he shares. He tries to use his positive attitude when it comes to creating healthy relationships with race teams. “When I work with teams, we just get better. I’m good at finding everyone’s strength and building off of that,” he says. Austin sees racing as a team sport that requires pieces of the puzzle to be put together to create one solid organization. Although he’s always trying to create a bigger network down in North Carolina, racing in his home state of Maine is still important to him.
Austin encourages race fans in Maine to “take the scenic route” and visit Spud Speedway, which is his home track in Northern Maine. Before moving down to North Carolina after graduating high school, Austin raced up & down the East Coast and primarily Maine, racing at tracks like Spud Speedway, Oxford Plains Speedway and Beech Ridge Motor Speedway. He made one appearance in Maine towards the end of the 2017 race season, racing on PASS 150 weekend at Oxford Plains Speedway. It was a tough weekend for Austin, who struggled in his PASS car after dominating tracks all over the country in his ARCA ride. “You can’t come back to Maine on a whim and expect to run with the big dogs up there,” he laughs. Although he has no concrete plans yet to race up in Maine in 2018, he’s certainly not ruling it out. He mentions that it would be “phenomenal” to go back up to Spud Speedway to compete in their one PASS-sanctioned race on Tuesday, July 3rd. Austin is regularly searching for his next big opportunity, trying to push a door open that will allow him to further his career.
Austin says that self-care is important to maintain a positive mindset. Although he’s not in a position that he’d like to be in right now, he doesn’t let that deter him from doing what he loves. Austin loves to travel and visit new tracks. When he’s not behind the wheel himself, he enjoys helping other drivers. In Martinsville this weekend, he’s spotting for upcoming driver Cory Roper in the Camping World Truck Series. He keeps his fans and supporters up to date as often as he can on Social Media, which is something that’s really important to him.
During the 2017 season, Austin received a personal phone call from ARCA. During the phone call, a representative from the series told him that they have never seen so much fan interaction and excitement for a driver than they have for him. “I value my fans really well,” he says. He has considered doing a fan-funded racing campaign, but he wants it to be done right in a way where the fans feel valued and appreciated more than ever. He frequently hosts contests on his Facebook page where fans can play fun guessing games to win Austin Theriault merchandise, like championship hats and T-shirts. Fans can interact with Austin on Facebook, but it’s a great utilization tool for potential sponsors as well.
Austin says that the easiest way for potential sponsors to reach out to him is to message his official Facebook page. “Making that initial contact is huge,” he says. He stresses that no promises have to be made and that he and his team are open to hearing any potential options. He explains that there is no “one size fits all” for sponsors, and they can range from social media sponsors to sponsors that only want to be on merchandise to sponsors that are on the car itself. He explains to me the nature of the business, where some sponsors aren’t necessarily interested in selling to the fan, but interested in making connections with other sponsors/businesses in the sport. After making the first initial contact, Austin says that he is more than willing to set up a phone call or set up a meeting to discuss options. “The possibilities are endless,” he says. The relationship he has with his fans and sponsors are both vastly important to Austin, but his family are his biggest supporters.
Austin’s family is a huge part of his life. When I had the opportunity to talk to him last year after Daytona, he was traveling to his next race track with his grandparents. His parents are also so supportive of his career, always cheering him on at every track. “You always have a small team around you,” he says. He says that his parents have never failed in keeping him focused and determined to reach his dreams. He stresses that he wouldn’t be living this life if it wasn’t for them and he owes them the ultimate gratitude and thanks.
As far as his advice for all of his fans and supporters? “You have to remember to make an investment in yourself,” he says. Life’s not about trying to make other people see your value, it’s about truly knowing your own value. “You have to go where you want to be,” he stresses. You shouldn’t be afraid to move to pursue what you love. Life’s all about connections. He says that sometimes, you have to work for free. Sure, it’s not exactly ideal, but it will get your foot in the door and open up a a world of opportunity. He reminds fans to remember that the racing culture is unique and only we get to enjoy these moments and the the exhilaration of racing that others may no ever experience. The racing world is full of change, so we should all embrace it and enjoy the ride.
Austin is not only extremely focused on the future, he is wise beyond his years. With his mentality, heart and optimism, something is sure to come together for the Fort Kent native. With an entire state behind him cheering him on, it’s only a matter of time.
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Austin Theriault is Maine’s own Wonderboy, making a name for himself as he climbs his way through the ranks of NASCAR. 22 year old Austin, a Fort Kent native, has started out his 2017 ARCA Racing Series season in spectacular fashion. He kicked off his year with a win at Daytona Motor Speedway, giving his new #52 Ken Schrader Racing team plenty of momentum to keep their success coming throughout the season. Theriault is no stranger to success behind the wheel — he began his winning voyage capturing a handful of wins throughout New England during his early racing days.
Austin began racing at the age of 13 at Spud Speedway, a small 1/3 mile oval in Caribou, Maine. This began his voyage into Late Model cars. Early into his racing career, he captured his first win at the Spud 150 and his success only grew from there. Austin then went on to become the youngest podium finisher at the Oxford 250, finishing behind NASCAR’s own Kyle Busch. In 2013, he also captured a win at the 2013 PASS 300 race at Beech Ridge Motor Speedway in Scarborough, Maine. After graduating from high school in 2012, Austin made his voyage down to Mooresville, North Carolina. This is where his journey in NASCAR’s biggest series’ began. Austin may have moved away from his home state, but he will never lose sight of where he came from.
When you are a racecar driver in the Northeast, the racing season is over in a quick minute, much unlike those down South or out West that race year-round. Growing up in Maine, Austin says that he was consistently working on his car during the winter months. At the beginning of his career, he says that honestly, he didn’t really know what he was doing. Late Model racecars were new to him, but he was certainly up for the challenge. He recounts reading books to help him learn more about the cars. He enlisted in the help of others outside of his family and friends as he moved up within the sport, frequently seeking out help and advice from those with knowledge of the sport. He says that his decision to make his racing hobby into a career didn’t come to be until he decided to move from Maine to Mooresville after graduation. Austin’s voyage to Mooresville jumpstarted his NASCAR career, but he still holds his short track memories with him to this day.
Theriault recalls his 2013 PASS 300 win at Beech Ridge as being one of his most memorable victories in New England. This was his first summer away from home, and he says that it was amazing to come back home after being gone and reign victorious. He recalls this victory as the biggest win of his career at that stage in his life. This victory was so important to him that he still has the car from the win back at home in Maine. He had friends and family from both home and North Carolina come together for the race, and he says that it was awesome to have everyone from his two different worlds come together to achieve the same goal. As for his favorite tracks back at home? Spud Speedway will be one that he holds close to his heart, but Oxford and Beech Ridge are both fun to run for him. Austin’s small town victories are memorable, but he also managed to tame arguably the most famous racetrack in auto racing history: Daytona Motor Speedway.
During the offseason, it was announced that Austin Theriault was joining Ken Schrader Racing in 2017, getting behind the wheel of a full-time ride in the #52 ARCA Series Ford Fusion. He says that he and Ken ran into each other at a PRI show toward the end of 2016, right before Austin headed back home to Maine for the holidays. He and Ken struck up a conversation. Ken had mentioned that he didn’t have a driver, and Austin mentioned that he was in search of a ride for 2017. From there, a deal was put together and the rest is history. Austin says the two running into each other is simply “meant to be” and he is more than grateful to be behind the wheel once again in a full-time ride. The #52 team is already proving to be a powerful one, especially after the season debut win at Daytona. Austin says his win at Daytona was obviously a big deal. Coming right out the gate with a new team and getting a win takes a lot of weight off of Austin’s shoulders as a driver. He says that this victory eased his mind a bit and took some pressure off of him, leaving him room to take some chances in 2017 and elevate his team to new heights. Although his 2017 season started out with a victory, Austin’s journey to the top hasn’t exactly been easy.
In 2015, Austin was involved in a serious on-track accident at Las Vegas Motor Speedway while competing in the Camping World Truck Series. The accident left him with a lower back fracture, sidelining him from being behind the wheel for an extended period of time. Austin says that this accident took both a major emotional and physical toll on him. He was actively learning and becoming more successful, but it all came to a halt after the crash. “Life came to a complete stop in the matter of seconds”, he says. This accident made him see life in a new light, from a different perspective. This accident only made him stronger, and he’s thankful for any opportunities that allow him to build his career back up and give him a run at the championship. Austin took any opportunity that came to him in 2016, racing in any division he could. These opportunities included some time behind the wheel with different teams, like the #02 Young’s Motorsports truck he drove for the Martinsville race in October. Being behind the wheel isn’t the only thing on Austin’s mind — he has a wide array of hobbies outside of racing.
Austin has a passion for being in the cockpit. He is a licensed pilot, and he actually did all of his flight training while he was still attending high school. He says that his uncle inspired him to get into the hobby, seeing that he was a pilot himself. He says that flying is a good skill to keep in your back pocket, but it is challenging to take on. Austin compared his flight training to “taking another class in school”, going into detail about how learning how to fly requires studying and intense concentration. Although he doesn’t own his own plane, he rents planes occasionally and loves being in the air. In addition to being a pilot, Austin enjoys cycling from late Spring into early Fall. He says that cycling during these months helps him condition for the warm weather and also helps him mentally — allowing him to clear his head and zone out for a little while. Austin is consistently learning more about the sport and drawing influences from both past drivers and his own family and friends.
As a competitor, Austin draws influence from drivers like Mark Martin. He says that Mark was a driver that he paid a lot of attention to when he was younger, seeing Martin as a driver that others looked to when trying to achieve success within the sport. He says that Mark Martin is undoubtedly the best driver to never win a championship and calls him a “legend of the sport.” In his personal life, Austin looks up to his grandfather. He says that his grandfather bought him his first car — a 1986 Pontiac Grand Am. He says that his grandfather has played a big part in his racing career and still comes out to support him to this day, including traveling with him to Nashville for this weekend’s upcoming race. Austin draws influence from those in his life, but he also wants to make a difference in others’ lives in the future.
Austin is very interested in politics and enjoys debating from time to time. He says that people have a lot of power and the ability to make people’s lives better. He would like to be one of these people someday, saying that public service is important to him. He won’t be pursuing this any time in the near future, though. He says that in order to lead others, you must have a lot of life experience and be able to open your eyes to what other people go through in their daily lives. Although public service is not in the cards right now as racing is his main focus, Austin still sees this as a definite possibility for himself in 10-20 years. Austin wants to help others in the future and inspire young people to reach their dreams, but he admittedly doesn’t have a personal formula for success.
As for his advice to young people trying to make it in the sport? Austin says that success comes in different ways for everyone and that each individual person has a different path to follow/story to tell. He says that racing is a tough goal for anyone to have, which is something he didn’t necessarily know when he first got involved in the racing world. Nothing ever comes easy, but staying persistent is important. There are going to be a lot of obstacles, so you must be prepared for the bumps in the road. He says that you can’t be afraid to network with others and share your story. He compares putting a network of people together to “putting a puzzle together”, stating that different people make up different pieces of the puzzle and impact your success in different ways. Last of all, Austin says that it’s important for other people to see your determination and sacrifices, saying that you’re going to have to chase your dreams. He concludes his response by saying that you must remain authentic and “chase your own story.” Austin hasn’t lost the small town boy inside of him, even when he’s reached success at some of the highest levels of competition in the sport. He has an entire state behind him, rooting for his success as he continues to climb to the top. We wish Austin the best of luck and upmost success during the 2017 ARCA racing season!
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