After a quick trip home to New England over the weekend, Austin Theriault is back in the midwest \u2013 and back in the Brad Keselowski Racing No. 29 Checkered Flag Foundation Dodge \u2013 this week.<\/p>\n
One week after an impressive effort at the historic Milwaukee Mile, Theriault is set to tackle the CRA Super Series 4th annual Rowdy 251 at Berlin Raceway in Marne, Mich., on Tuesday night.
\n<\/p>\n
\u201cThe way I go into any race, I don’t really put one over the other,\u201d Theriault said of the Rowdy 251, named for NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver Kyle Busch and his popular nickname, ‘Rowdy.’ \u201cYou’ve got to have certain goals when you go into any track. Whether up to Spud Speedway (in Caribou, Maine) or the Oxford 250 or the Snowball Derby or whatever, it’s about getting the most you can out of the car and getting the most you can out of yourself.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don’t feel any different about this race. We’re going to do the best we can. I’m pretty confident in what (crew chief Gary Crooks) is bringing to the track every week and in what I’m bringing.\u201d<\/p>\n
During a similar midweek event last Tuesday, a large field of 72 Super Late Models attempted to qualify for the ASA Midwest Tour’s Howie Lettow Memorial 150 at Milwaukee. Theriault qualified 28th for the event after winning his qualifying race in his first trip to the flat mile track, and he then overcame two flat tires and a balky alternator to finish 18th.<\/p>\n
For the 18-year-old BKR development driver and recent high school graduate, it was another step in the right direction for the team.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt Milwaukee, that was a huge deal for us,\u201d Theriault said. \u201cGoing forward, when you go to the Snowball Derby and other big shows later this year, qualifying is one big piece of the pie. It’s not saying we can’t work harder and get better \u2013 because we can get better. The more time we spend together, the better we’ll get.
\n\u201cIt’s just like when we first started going ACT (Late Model Tour) racing. The first year, it was a learning experience. It’s not the same kind of learning experience now, but it is about getting more out of the car and trying to maximize what you can do as a driver every time you are out there.\u201d<\/p>\n
Following an open practice day Monday at Berlin Raceway, practice and qualifying for the Rowdy 251 take place Tuesday afternoon. The main event is scheduled for approximately 7 p.m. local time.<\/p>\n
More than 40 cars are entered in the Rowdy 251 \u2013 including entries for drivers Busch, Travis Pastrana, Chase Elliott and Ross Kenseth.<\/p>\n
Theriault hopes to bounce back from the disappointment of the bad luck at Milwaukee. In his first three starts for BKR in 2012, Theriault never finished worse than eighth \u2013 including a career-best finish of fifth in the Papa John’s 100 at Five Flags Speedway in April.<\/p>\n
He felt he had a Top-10 car in the massive field at Milwaukee before encountering the flat tires and losing laps in the pits while swapping out both an alternator and battery.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we need to redeem ourselves from run we had at Milwaukee,\u201d Theriault said. \u201cI didn’t necessarily have a bad car \u2013 just a lot of bad luck. Going to Michigan, it’s a little bit more of what we’re used to going to every weekend.\u201d<\/p>\n
Visit NERacingForum.Com<\/a> for latest New England Racing community News and updates.<\/p>\n