Several months ago, Sean Caisse, a racecar driver thought to be well on his way to NASCAR stardom, hit what he considered to be "rock bottom."

The 22-year-old only had $86 left in his checking account and a supposed Dale Earnhardt Inc. ride promised to him for 2008 didn't pan out.

So with no ride on the horizon, Caisse made plans to pack up his racing dreams and head home to New Hampshire.

Sea Caisse earned the pole at Kentucky in May.

"I had exhausted all my resources, but everyone kept telling me what a great driver I was. But at that point in time I had no money," said Caisse, who had ran two full seasons in NASCAR's Camping World Series East with Andy Santerre Motorsports and finished second in the final championship standings both seasons. The team also had several wins as well as poles.

Banking on his supposed ride at DEI, Caisse told Santerre he would not return to the Camping World Series in 2008. But shortly thereafter DEI told Caisse they no longer had sponsorship to run him in their stable.

"I needed to move up," he said. "So I took a risk. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out and I was stuck without a ride."

Caisse was close to finishing his degree in mechanical engineering; school was an option, but it wasn't one he favored. He wanted to go NASCAR racing, a goal he had made for himself at 10 years old.

"Instead I went at least four months with no income," he said. "I was shopping for sales, cutting coupons. When you hit rock bottom it puts life in a different perspective."

Preparing for the move back home, Caisse dropped in on some old friends at Germain Racing looking to borrow a trailer to move his furniture. He had befriended the team after they had called on Caisse once to run a Truck Series race in New Hampshire; however, he never had the opportunity to race on account of it being a late entry.

Nevertheless, Caisse walked into general manager Mike Hillman's office. It was mid-March and sitting with him was Shigeaki Hattori, former Indy Racing League driver and NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series driver for Germain Racing. Today he operates an ARCA team, Hattori Racing Enterprises.

Turns out, Caisse was the subject of the men's meeting. Coincidentally, Hillman and Hattori were discussing a possible development program for Caisse.

Hattori formed Hattori Racing Enterprises out of his love for American auto racing and is working with Germain Racing to develop young racing talent, sharing with HRE the race team's championship-winning experience and long-standing relationship with Toyota.

"I couldn't believe it," Caisse said. "I more or less walked into my job interview."

Right away, Caisse was set to make some starts in the ARCA Series running Hattori's No. 01 Camry. This season he has made four starts producing one pole at Kentucky Speedway and a second-place finish at the same track.

"We've made a statement but we also have some work to do at some tracks we could've won. But we either lost breaks or were taken out," Caisse said.

Meanwhile, Caisse is also preparing for his Craftsman Truck Series debut with Germain Racing. He toils away in the shop through the week and then goes on the road with the crew and championship driver Todd Bodine to glean pertinent information as well as spot for driver Justin Marks in the No. 9 Toyota.

"I'm just excited to have the opportunity," Caisse said. "I've had teams talk to me and I've even tested for [Roush Fenway Racing] and had meetings with Richard Childress Racing, but I have a lot of trust and respect for Germain Racing."

Caisse's path to NASCAR reads like any other young driver's path.

He came from years of go-kart championships and a successful career of Hobby Stocks and Late Model racing as a teenager at Lee USA Speedway in New Hampshire. He also ran NASCAR's Modified Series in 2004 and with team owner Art Barry won a pole and drove in the NASCAR's Busch North Series.

In addition to his driving talent, Caisse has a special place in his heart for the sea. He grew up in New Hampshire but was born in Massachusetts.

During the summer, he was a first mate on a tuna boat salt water fishing for 1,200-pound blue fin fish.

At 16 years old, he worked about 250 miles off the coast in Newburyport, Mass. Caisse would stand in a 75-foot tower and spot fish with binoculars and radio specific coordinates to the captain below. It was a stark contrast from life today outside of Mooresville, N.C.

His older sister Danielle, 24, is moving to his new NASCAR town in the fall.

The pair bought a three-bedroom home and together will face whatever hurdles life brings. And Caisse will teach his sister what he's learned about life on a budget.

"I now know the value of a dollar," he said, "especially if and when you find yourself with only 86 of them left."