Austin Theriault: ACT Late Model Tour - Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl Race Preview

Austin Theriault: ACT Late Model Tour
Thunder Road Int'l Speedbowl Race Preview

Austin Theriault of Fort Kent, Maine, returns to one of the northeast's trickiest tracks for the ACT Late Model Tour Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200 at Thunder Road International Speedbowl in Barre, Vt., on Sunday, September 5. The 16-year-old high school junior made his debut at the track an impressive one -- finishing seventh in the non-points Vermont Governor's Cup 100 in late June. Theriault enters the weekend having finished fifth last time out in the all-star "Showdown at Chaudiere" and having been named as one of the 43 drivers who will be in the starting field for the 2nd annual ACT Invitational at New Hampshire Motor Speedway later this month. Ninth in the overall ACT standings and leading the Rookie of the Year race by five points with three races remaining, Theriault has five Top-10 finishes in eight starts.

WHO: Austin Theriault, Fort Kent, Maine
TEAM: No. 57 Varney Insurance Ford Fusion
BEST CAREER THUNDER ROAD FINISH: 7th (June 2010)
LAST RACE AT THUNDER ROAD: 7th (June 2010)

WHAT: ACT Late Model Tour Bond Auto Labor Day Classic 200
WHERE: Thunder Road International Speedbowl, Barre, Vt. (.25-mile oval)
WHEN: 1:30 p.m., Sunday, September 5

ACT Late Model Tour
LAST RACE: Saturday, Aug. 28, Showdown At Chaudiere, Vallee-Jonction, Que. (5th-place)
NEXT RACE: Sunday, Sept. 12, Mohawk Casino 300, Airborne Speedway, Plattsburgh, N.Y. (.500-mile oval).
POINTS POSITION: 9th

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AUSTIN, WHAT'S BEEN THE KEY TO THE SECOND HALF OF THE SEASON FOR YOU?

I just think we're better organized as a team than maybe we were at the start, and we're all better understanding each other and what each person's role is. Being a team can be difficult at times, especially when you're just starting out. Even now, we're still a new team compared to the teams that Brian Hoar and guys like that have, but we're getting better.

We're learning all the time, and we've become a lot better since we entered into ACT Tour racing.

WHAT WAS IT ABOUT THUNDER ROAD THAT MADE FOR SUCH AN IMPRESSIVE DEBUT THERE BACK IN JUNE?

It's all about being patient there. You can't take any more than the track gives you. You can really ruin your night in those corners if you try to do too much. That place can bite you in a hurry.

I don't know, but it's already one of my favorite tracks. It's very hard to compare it to anywhere else that we go. That place just has a mind of its own.

I know it's a huge race there this weekend, and I think how we run this weekend will set the tone for the remainder of the year as far as the Rookie of the Year (battle) goes. If we can pull off a good finish this weekend, it should set us up for the final two races.

ARE YOU GUYS CLOSE TO WINNING THAT FIRST ACT RACE?

I don't know. I don't want to say too much about that and jinx anything. Honestly, it could come at any time -- we're right there. If things work out it would be great to win, but our goal right now has to be to finish off the Rookie of the Year. It's still a pretty close race with Brad Babb, and hopefully we can come out on top of that.