Race Weekend Central

Austin Theriault Hopes to Return for 2015 Truck Series Finale at Homestead

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Despite still recovering from a compression fracture in his back, Austin Theriault is looking to the future and trying to secure a ride for 2016.

“It’s been an up and down month of healing,” Theriault tweeted Wednesday. “However, it is even harder sitting on the sidelines, waiting to get back in the truck.”

Theriault was involved in a hard crash on the frontstretch during October’s Rhino Linings 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The crash broke Theriault’s HANS device and forced him to be airlifted to an area hospital to treat an injury to his back as well as multiple cuts and bruises on his head.

Theriault is not medically cleared to race this weekend’s event at Texas Motor Speedway or the following week at Phoenix International Raceway, but he said that doctors are “upbeat” about his chances of returning to the No. 29 Brad Keselowski Racing Ford F-150 for the season finale at Homestead.

Ryan Blaney will race the No. 29 at Texas and Austin Cindric will run the race at Phoenix in place of Theriault. Through eight starts in the BKR entry this season, Theriault has two top-five and four top-10 finishes including a best result of fourth at the season opener at Daytona.

Theriault said that his injury will not hamper his plans to race in 2016 but that without sponsorship he is still looking for a full-time ride, an opportunity which would be his first in the Camping World Truck Series. BKR announced earlier this week that Tyler Reddick and Daniel Hemric will drive its two entries in 2016, so Theriault will be forced to find a new home to make his Truck dreams a reality.

“Staying positive is one of the lessons I’ve learned in life so far and especially the past few weeks,” Theriault said. “So I remain encouraged that we will partner with the right sponsors and the right racing opportunities will open up.”

About the author

Sean returns as a ringer in 2017, contributing once a month because he (gasp!) is living it up in the big city without internet. While he's not consuming race news on the Twitter app and reddit he's writing a ton of short stories and paying the bills by working in marketing.

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