Austin Theriault, a stock car driver from Fort Kent, will compete this year in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.

Theriault reached an agreement to drive in 13 of the circuit’s 23 races for Brad Keselowski Racing, the team announced Tuesday. He’ll share the No. 29 Cooper-Standard Ford F-150 seat with Keselowski, the 2012 Sprint Cup champion; a Sprint Cup competitor, Joey Logano; and the 2014 Truck Series runner-up, Ryan Blaney.

“The truck series is a new series for me and I’m sure the trucks will drive different,” Theriault said.

He will start the season Feb. 20 in the NextEra Energy Resources 250 at Daytona International Speedway.

“It’s a track I’ve only seen from the grandstands and a couple of years ago I was back on pit road,” Theriault said. “As a kid growing up and watching that race it never really crossed my mind that I would be racing at that track. I guess I won’t really know what it’s like until I practice the first time.”

Joining the Keselowski-owned team is a reunion of sorts. Theriault raced Super Late Model style cars in Keselowski’s now defunct driver development program in 2012 and 2013.

“For him to have an opportunity to drive for us in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series is pretty special,” Keselowski said in a press release.

In 2014, Theriault raced three times on the NASCAR Nationwide (now called XFINITY) tour, placing 21st at New Hampshire, 15th at Iowa and 18th at Kentucky.

At Kentucky, Theriault’s car was billed as the “Maine Open for Business Chevrolet,” a sponsorship co-operative that included Maine-based businesses and at least $15,000 in tax-payer money from Gov. Paul LePage’s contingency account.

Theriault raced for JR Motorsports, co-owned by Dale Earnhardt Jr., in his Nationwide starts.

“We left on good terms with JR Motorsports,” said Theriault, who turns 21 next week. “They’re doing some different things and it didn’t involve what I could do. There were no issues. It’s just racing and a lot of times as a young driver you’ll move around.”

Theriault also was second last year at the Oxford 250 and won his ARCA series debut at the two-mile Michigan International Speedway in June, showing he could handle high-speed racing. “I was constantly learning throughout that race,” Theriault said.

The truck series is considered one step lower than the XFINITY Series in NASCAR’s pecking order, but being closer to a full-time ride gives Theriault increased learning opportunities.

“When I’m not the driver I think it will be really important for me to be at the track,” Theriault said. “There’s still a lot I can take in: the communication the drivers have with crew chiefs, trends, where the good drivers are located when they’re fast.”

He said he expects to make the truck series start Sept. 26 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

“I’ve definitely laid out a few goals,” Theriault said. “I’m really looking forward to being able to rack up top-10 finishes, and by the end of the season competing in the top three and having a shot at a win.”

Related Stories