Cross Insurance of Bangor will be the primary sponsor on ARCA Racing Series points leader Austin Theriault’s Ford for Friday night’s Crosley Brands 150 at Kentucky Speedway.
Cross Insurance will serve as an associate sponsor for the season finale, the Kansas 150, at Kansas Speedway on Oct. 20.
Fort Kent native Theriault, who drives for Ken Schrader Racing Inc., has built a nearly insurmountable points lead over second-place Dalton Sargeant with two races remaining. The 23-year-old has a 375-point advantage over Sargeant.
Theriault leads the series in virtually every category as he has six wins and 15 top-five finishes through 18 races. He has 11 top-threes, including a current string of six in a row, and 10 top-twos. He has finished in the top 10 in all 18 races.
Team owner Schrader said in a press release that, “Our team has had a dream season and we are really looking forward to Kentucky. Cross Insurance has been a loyal supporter of Austin’s and we are thrilled to feature them on the car (on Friday).”
Theriault added in the release that he is pleased he will be displaying Cross Insurance on his No. 52 Ford.
“I am excited to have the support of Cross Insurance at Kentucky and Kansas, the last two races that will decide the 2017 ARCA championship,” said Theriault. “Maine is where it all started for me, so to have a well-known and respected Maine company like Cross partnering with us is very special. I hope we can keep our streak of top-three finishes going.”
Jonathan Cross, chief operating officer of Cross Insurance, said “We are honored to partner with Austin and the rest of the team at Ken Schrader Racing. We are looking forward to many more successful races together.”
The Cross Insurance Company started in the Bangor home of Woodrow Cross in 1954 and now has more than 40 branches and 800 employees over a six-state region in the Northeast. It is one of the largest independent insurance companies in New England and the nation’s 32nd largest broker of U.S. business.
Theriault had a Maine company, E.J. Prescott Inc. of Gardiner, sponsor a race earlier this season, the Sioux Chief PowerPEX 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Indiana. He finished fourth.
Friday’s race will be telecast live on FS1 beginning at 8 p.m.