Maine's Austin Theriault needs only to start the race tonight at Kansas Speedway to claim the 2017 ARCA Series Driver Championship. That's how dominant the Fort Kent racer has been this season.

He has a 400 point lead over his closest competition, Dalton Sargeant.

To say that things have clicked between Kenny Schrader's #52 ARCA team and Theriault would be an understatement.

"We talked about this after the Daytona test way back in January…how smart Austin is in the seat. The crystal ball was right…he certainly is that guy. For me, it's like going back 30 years…like living Alan Kulwicki all over again. I've never worked with someone so determined to be the best at his craft. He's (Theriault) like a quarterback in a film room. He's a student of his game. Before we went to the dirt, he sat down and watched…studied Springfield and DuQuoin.

"It's not only that. He's in the shop with us every day. When we're going through the set-up on the car, he's right there with you. We make our decisions together. He not only understands what's going on in the seat, but from the mechanical side. Right from when the cars are being built, he's incorporating something, from the set-ups to the race track. He understands the mechanical side so well because he was there when we started out." - Crew Chief Donnie Richeson / ARCA Press Release

Austin Theriault Win 5
Ken Schrader Racing Team Photo
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Theriault has raced in all 19 ARCA races leading up to tonight. He has 7 wins, 16 top five finishes and has had a top 10 finish in every race.

Theriault has won super speedway races, short track races, dirt races and road course races.

Special ARCA Awards coming to Theriault and the #52 team at the year end banquet in December include...

* Driver Championship: Austin Theriault

* Cometic Crew Chief Of The Year Award: Donnie Richeson

* Bill France 4 Crown Championship

* Sioux Chief Short Track Challenge Champion Team

* General Tire Super Speedway Challenge Champion Team

So one more time this year in the #52 ARCA car for Theriault. Pole qualifying in Kansas is this afternoon. The Kansas 150 Race is tonight. The championship banquet is December 9th at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.

Theriualt should have one of the good seats at the table.

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