Theriault to Make Cup Debut at NHMS with RWR

By Seth Eggert, NASCAR Correspondent

After he sat on the sidelines for much of the last year, Austin Theriault will make his Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series debut at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Theriault will join Andy Seuss, who is also making his Cup debut at NHMS with Rick Ware Racing, as a teammate. The Fort Kent, ME native will drive the No. 52 Bangor Savings Bank / Cross Insurance Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 for the team.

To date, Theriault has 19 starts in NASCAR’s National Series, his most recent in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series at Martinsville Speedway earlier this season. In the Truck Series, he has two top-five and five top-10 finishes.

“We are proud to be giving deserving drivers their chance, and RWR has been fortunate to give some outstanding drivers their chance in the Cup Series over the years,” commented team owner Rick Ware. “We are just as excited to see Austin Theriault showcase his talents on this big stage.

“We have been following Austin’s career and are thrilled to have him in the Bangor Savings Bank No. 52 at New Hampshire. We are equally excited to have Bangor Savings Bank join the RWR family as a marketing partner. We have been very fortunate to have added some very admirable companies to our family this year and are looking forward to having Bangor Savings Bank join us at NHMS.”

In 2016, Theriault drove in three NASCAR Xfinity Series races for RWR. His best finish in the Xfinity Series was 15^th in his 2014 debut with JR Motorsports at Iowa Speedway.

The 2017 season saw Theriault compete in the ARCA Menards Series for Ken Schrader. The duo proved to be dominant as they won seven races on route to the championship. Theriault also earned 16 top-five and 19 top-10 finishes that season.

Since then, Theriault drove in two truck races as well as late model competition. He earned On Point Motorsports their first top-10 finish as an organization in just their second series start at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. That was the first Las Vegas race for Theriault since a 2015 accident at the track left him with a broken back.

“I’ve been working extremely hard to get the opportunity to race in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series,” Theriault explained. “I remember sitting in the NHMS grandstands and watching my favorite driver, Mark Martin, win the last race of his Cup career in 2009.”

Like Seuss, the Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at NHMS is a home race for Theriault. The 25-year-old explained how the support from local companies and communities will make his Cup debut that much better.

“It never crossed my mind, that I would have the opportunity to make my Cup debut at a track that means so much to my family and I. The support we’ve received from New England is humbling, and I’m excited to say I’ll be debuting with the support of New England based companies.”

The New England driver has had Bangor Savings Bank, Cross Insurance, and other New England-based companies adorned his cars several times in the past.

“We’re excited to have Austin once again waving the colors of Bangor Saving Bank” says Bangor Savings Bank President and CEO Bob Montgomery-Rice. “Austin has been an incredible partner over the years, and we are thrilled to be a part of his team for his NASCAR debut and the debut of the Bangor Savings Bank No. 52.”

The July 21 race will mark Theriault’s first NASCAR race at NHMS since 2015 when he finished eighth in the Truck race for Brad Keselowski Racing.