DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. � The youngest winner of the Daytona 500 began a star-making lap around the country Monday, jetting from ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., to Chicago.
By Mark J. Rebilas, US Presswire
Trevor Bayne celebrates his Daytona 500 victory.
By Mark J. Rebilas, US Presswire
Trevor Bayne celebrates his Daytona 500 victory.
Today will bring media-oriented stops in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Phoenix for Trevor Bayne, but NASCAR's freshest face might have trouble keeping his grip on the Cup spotlight.
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DAYTONA SURPRISE: Trevor Bayne wins in second career start
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PHOTO GALLERY: Daytona 500 in pictures
Because of a lack of sponsorship, Wood Brothers Racing had planned to field Bayne in only 17 Sprint Cup races this season. And with a new NASCAR rule forcing drivers to choose one national series in which to earn points, Bayne took himself out of the running for the title anyway.
How is he taking the news?
He sounds just like a happy-go-lucky 20-year-old who capped the biggest day of his life by shooting hoops and skateboarding with his buddies Sunday night in the Daytona International Speedway infield.
"Whatever they say, I'm good with it," said Bayne, who tied a record by capturing his first win in NASCAR's premier circuit in his second start. "I think we'll have a really good shot in Nationwide, and obviously we've got a good shot (in Cup), so whatever they say I'm fine with it"
Despite his win, Bayne has zero points in the standings because he chose to run for the Nationwide title under the new rule (which was intended to end the five-year streak of Cup regulars wining the second-division title).
But NASCAR said Monday that Bayne would be allowed to change his mind. Though the points he earned from the Daytona 500 still wouldn't count, the victory would in determining his eligibility for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Under a new format this season, the 12-driver Chase will feature the top 10 in points and the two drivers ranked 11th-20th with the most wins. If the rules had been applied last year, a one-win driver would have made the Chase.
Still, Wood Brothers would need to run its first full season since 2008 to give Bayne a shot at the top 20 in points before the Chase cutoff in September. The team added a race after his win and hopes to secure funding to continue after the first seven.
"This limited schedule enables us to continue racing, but you need to be at all of them and that's our goal," said co-owner Eddie Wood, who said Monday morning he had received text messages from potential sponsors in the 12 hours since the victory. Wood said deciding on whether Bayne would switch his points preference was "a good problem to have."
Sunday night after his victory, Bayne said, "I wish I could talk to (NASCAR president) Mike Helton into changing the box (he checked for Nationwide) if I can."
He also might need some help from Roush Fenway Racing, which signed Bayne to a long-term deal last fall and loaned him out to the Wood Brothers this year. Roush plans to run Bayne full time in the Nationwide Series but has no sponsorship on his car (so if he did elect to switch, it wouldn't ruffle the feathers of a corporation that had committed millions to seeking a title with the affable young driver).
WBIR in Knoxville, Tenn. profiled a 13-year-old Trevor Bayne in 2004 in this video extra.
"If (Wood Brothers co-owners) Len and Eddie came to us, then we're always willing to entertain discussions (about having him earn points in Cup)," Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark said Monday afternoon, noting there had been no discussions yet between the teams. "There's been a lot of increased cooperation among the Ford camp to try to get the blue oval in victory lane."
Bayne's future with the Wood Brothers seems uncertain after this year.
He said Monday of Wood Brothers Racing that "I'd be happy here forever. .. I love these guys", but Roush still holds the primary option on any decision involving his career.
After profiling a young Trevor Bayne, WBIR in Knoxville checked in with the young driver in this 2006 video.
Newmark said he doesn't envision the team promoting Bayne to a Cup ride this year, but Bayne is "a key part of the Roush Fenway future.
"He has a very long future ahead, and I do envision him in a Cup car," Newmark said.
There are two more restrictor-plate races ? Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona ? before the Chase begins, so Bayne would have more chances at capitalizing on the Woods Brothers' prowess on superspeedways. And though he'd be giving up a race, there are examples of drivers still finishing in the top 10 in points while overcoming such a deficit (such as Kevin Harvick in 2001).
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