The ARCA Racing Series wrapped up its 65th season of competition on Friday at Kansas Speedway. The 20-race schedule, beginning at Daytona International Speedway in February, featured many highs throughout the year with numerous drivers behind the wheel.
Austin Theriault was the most dominating driver of the 2017 ARCA Racing Series season. Going into 2017, the 23-year old, from Fort Kent, Maine, had only two previous starts in the racing series before joining Ken Schrader Racing to pilot the No. 52 ride full-time.
Theriault opened the season celebrating in victory lane at Daytona International Speedway in February. The No. 52 Chevrolet with Orlando Longwood Auto Auction on the side led only four of the 75 circuits to score what would be their first of seven wins throughout the year.
The next four events wouldn’t end in victory lane but rather inside the top 10. Theriault showed dominance in race four at Talladega, a sister track of Daytona, by leading 30 of the 82 completed laps. However, when it was all said and done, the No. 52 Chevrolet finished right where it started in fourth.
The next victory for the team came two races later at Elko Speedway. There Theriault led the field for only four laps to claim his second win of the year. The young driver continued the momentum by placing inside the top 10 over the course of the next two races and later going to victory lane at Madison International Speedway. There he led 49 of the 200 laps in the No. 52 Toyota.
Despite not going to victory lane in the next five races — Theriault still managed to gather all top 10 finishes. The driver from Maine went on to score three consecutive wins at Road America, DuQuoin, and Salem, making his year total to five after 17 completed events.
“I had some of the most fun at Springfield and DuQuoin that I ever had in a racecar,” said Theriault about the dirt tracks on the ARCA circuit. “It goes back to the basics of racing. You just have to make sure you get through the corner without wrecking. I asked a lot of questions about racing on the dirt; but at the end of the day it goes back to the basics. To get a pole and win at the dirt tracks was a high point. Even the mile-and-a-halves…they gave us the most trouble…but we still got a win at Kentucky.”
“The road course was interesting. I am by no means a road course expert…I have very little experience on road courses…but we still came out with a win,” Theriault later added about Road America. “That was exciting for the whole team. I realized at that point…the fastest car doesn’t always win. You just have to be there when I counts.”
The streak later came to a close at Chicagoland Speedway in race 18 of 20. Theriault started seventh and led one lap to finish in the runner-up spot behind winner Christopher Bell. With the momentum going his way, Theriault scored his seventh win of the year at Kentucky Speedway one race later by leading 14 of the of the 100 laps.
Theriault essentially locked-up the 2017 ARCA Racing Series championship at Kentucky Speedway. However, per ARCA rules, Theriault had to enter the Kansas race and turn a lap in practice to clinch the series title.
Going into the final race of the season Theriault scored top 10 finishes in every race thus far. And with the championship already secured, Theriault had no worries going into the evening that night.
Unfortunately for Theriault, his 19 top 10 finishing streak came to an end on lap 55 in turns one and two as a tire went down on the No. 52 machine. Theriault finished the night 46 laps down in 25th.
On the upside, Theriault and Ken Schrader Racing still left the 1.5-mile midwest oval with the 2017 title.
“He led from the first race on. He never gave up the points lead…that’s pretty rare in this business, if ever,” said team owner and former Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series driver Ken Schrader. “We had two bad runs where we were 6th and 9th. That isn’t exactly terrible. Knew right off the get-go that the way they ran they were going to be there all year. These guys worked there hearts out. But Austin’s ability and experience to keep the fenders on the thing…to pull the all nighters…not to just get to the next race, but to be better at the next race. The way he carried himself on and off the track…just a very impressive young man.”
Theriault held an average finish of 4.2 and an average start of 7.0 and completed 98.2 percent of the laps ran in 2017.
“People say I’m a veteran; but I have no more than 5 or 6 Xfinity starts and maybe 8 or 9 Truck starts,” said Theriault. “It helped me to get to this point. We work hard and try and study these track as much as possible. We’re very thankful the way the races turned out so good for us. Winning at all those different tracks makes it even more special.”
Theriault spoke about the support he’s received back home in Maine.
“There’s roughly a million people in Maine. I’ve been very fortunate have a huge number of people follow me. When you race at the national level, it takes everything to a new level. I’m proud of all our support from back home. I’m proud to be from Maine…it’s helped shape the person I am. That sort of small town respect helped me be the person I am today. I wouldn’t be here without the amazing support I get from back home. I wouldn’t be here without them. This is their championship too.”
Shrader later said that he would love to have Theriault back in 2018 if he cannot find a ride in NASCAR.
“If I could have any favorite scenario, it would be to have one of the those really good teams call him from over there (NASCAR). If that doesn’t happen, hell yeah I want him back.”
Other drivers had their moments in 2017. Riley Herbst will end 2017 with the SCOTT Rookie Challenge Award. Herbst sat out of the No. 81 Toyota at the season opener because of age restrictions. However, upon turning the age of 18 shortly after the event, Herbst was able to run the remainder of the races.
“We didn’t win but we got the end result we came for…pretty good payday all the way around,” said Herbst after the Kansas ARCA 150. “Thanks to all my Joe Gibbs Racing guys and all their hard work, and thanks to SCOTT for the Rookie of the Year. We’re coming back next year to go after the championship.”
The driver of the No. 18 NOS Energy Drink / UFC Gym Toyota finished the Rookie of the Year season with one victory, coming at Pocono Raceway, six top five, and 10 top 10 finishes throughout 19 starts.
Dalton Sargeant also had his highs throughout the year. The Florida native finished the season with three wins and three pole starts under the Cunningham Motorsports banner.
Each of his three visits to victory lane came on short tracks with the first coming at Salem. His next two came back-to-back in race 10 and 11 at Iowa and Lucas Oil Raceway Park.
Sargeant finished the year with 10 top five and 18 top 10 finishes.
Justin Haley made three ARCA Racing Series starts throughout 2017. The Indiana native made two victory lane visits at Talladega Superspeedway and Pocono Raceway.
He made his third start of the year in the season finale at Kansas Speedway and finished sixth in the No. 78 Chevrolet for Mason Mitchell Motorsports. Haley started the Kansas ARCA 150 fourth on the leaderboard.
Michael Self closed the party out in the season finale at Kansas by scoring his first career ARCA win.
“Yeah…it’s amazing what a big win will do on a big stage like Kansas Speedway,” said Self. “It’s a little overwhelming. I’ve received tons of congratulatory remarks…well-deserved…all that. For us to finally get an ARCA win in the Sinclair car…getting it the way we did in the last race…the social media response has been overwhelming, not just for me but over there at Sinclair.”
Though Self isn’t resting quite yet as the series goes into the offseason. The driver from Utah is beginning to piece a deal together that could get him on-track more in 2018.
“I’m working on a proposal for 2018…what a full championship season would be worth. I want to send it off today…hopefully get some answers in the next couple of weeks,” said Self. “I want to run for an ARCA championship. I’ve got to look at the bigger picture. I’m going to be 27 years old next week. And there was a three-year span when I was out of the car altogether…I literally didn’t race for three years. We’d all like to say we’re going to the Monster Energy Series, but my focus over the last couple years was just how I was going to get back in a race car. My reality may not be a Monster Energy Cup driver one day. What’s more realistic is to grow with Sinclair and get them in a really good position to market their company. And I’d like to grow with them, and I think ARCA’s the right place to do that. Business-marketing-wise I want to be in a good position to have that to fall back on.”
Self made six starts in the series and finished the year with four top five and four top 10 finishes.
The ARCA Racing Series will return to action at Daytona International Speedway in February. Stay tuned to SpeedwayDigest.com for the 66th ARCA Racing Series season schedule.
About Me: Brett has been following the sport of NASCAR since the beginning of the 2006 NASCAR Sprint Cup season. Since Brett was 13, he has had a passion of chasing a job in sports that not many get the opportunity of doing. He has been in the NASCAR media since the middle of the 2010 season. Since then, he has been a part of many racing podcast shows to improve his talents. He has written for racingonfuel.com and theracingwheel.com. Currently, Brett writes for motorsportsnat.com and TracksideChatter.com. You can find him on twitter @NASCAR_Brett.
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