Austin Theriault Races in NASCAR’s Top Series

FORT KENT, Maine (AP) — 25-year-old Austin Theriault is set to make his debut in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.

Theriault, of Fort Kent, will become the first Maine driver in 15 years to be in a Cup series starting lineup during Sunday's Foxwoods Resort Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

Theriault began racing at Spud Speedway in Caribou while in middle school.

He later spent years racing part time in NASCAR's feeder system.

Ricky Craven is another small town Mainer who notched victories at Martinsville (Virginia) Speedway in 2001 and at Darlington (South Carolina) Raceway in 2003. Craven, now a NASCAR analyst, said Theriault will get support from New Englanders on Sunday.