NASCAR Sprint Cup’s newest, hottest driver Trevor Bayne is, ironically, not running for the Sprint Cup title.
Due to a number of changes in NASCAR rules, announced in January, a driver must declare only one series to fight for the championship called “Pick-A-Series.”
Before the running of the Daytona 500 Bayne, the breakout winner was signed to do a full-time Nationwide series for Roush Fenway and only a part-time, 17-race, Sprint Cup series. After taking the checkered flag the Wood Brothers added another Sprint Cup race.
During the media blitz in the wake of the Daytona 500 win, Bayne said “I think I am going to stay with Nationwide. I think it is a great thing they are doing for the sport for the young drivers there to be able to rise up as champions. Nothing has really changed for me other than that I am the Daytona 500 champion which is really incredible”.
He meant nothing contract-wise had changed.
Another change, which NASCAR made in the off-season was to add two wild card spots in the 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup title. The wild card goes to two drivers, with the most wins who finished 11th to 20th in the points.
So there’s the rub for Bayne. If he runs only less than the full Sprint Cup schedule it will be virtually impossible to be close to a top-20 points finish. And he can thank NASCAR for that rules change, too. And the points change from 43 points (for a win) down to one point (for last place) rules simplification will mean that a bad finish on non-start is more punishing than the previous system.
Then there’s that age-old problem with sponsorship, and no doubt there will be some interested parties after the Daytona 500 victory that have yet to appear.
Only Bayne is a realist when he explained “obviously we still have a blank car and I would love to get some partners on it, but as of now we are still running for it full time over there.”
“The Wood Brothers only have 18 races, 17 filled with Motorcraft and Quick Lane, which is really good support, but the 18th race is one we will run at Martinsville with the funds we got from Daytona,” Bayne said.
“I am still not full time Cup and I am going to run for the championship in Nationwide. I don’t regret any of our decisions there. We are off to a good start in both series with a 10th and a first,” Bayne concluded.
Due to a number of changes in NASCAR rules, announced in January, a driver must declare only one series to fight for the championship called “Pick-A-Series.”
Before the running of the Daytona 500 Bayne, the breakout winner was signed to do a full-time Nationwide series for Roush Fenway and only a part-time, 17-race, Sprint Cup series. After taking the checkered flag the Wood Brothers added another Sprint Cup race.
During the media blitz in the wake of the Daytona 500 win, Bayne said “I think I am going to stay with Nationwide. I think it is a great thing they are doing for the sport for the young drivers there to be able to rise up as champions. Nothing has really changed for me other than that I am the Daytona 500 champion which is really incredible”.
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| Trevor Bayne, Daytona 500, 2011 (Photo: Todd Warshaw/Getty Images for NASCAR) |
He meant nothing contract-wise had changed.
Another change, which NASCAR made in the off-season was to add two wild card spots in the 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup title. The wild card goes to two drivers, with the most wins who finished 11th to 20th in the points.
So there’s the rub for Bayne. If he runs only less than the full Sprint Cup schedule it will be virtually impossible to be close to a top-20 points finish. And he can thank NASCAR for that rules change, too. And the points change from 43 points (for a win) down to one point (for last place) rules simplification will mean that a bad finish on non-start is more punishing than the previous system.
Then there’s that age-old problem with sponsorship, and no doubt there will be some interested parties after the Daytona 500 victory that have yet to appear.
Only Bayne is a realist when he explained “obviously we still have a blank car and I would love to get some partners on it, but as of now we are still running for it full time over there.”
“The Wood Brothers only have 18 races, 17 filled with Motorcraft and Quick Lane, which is really good support, but the 18th race is one we will run at Martinsville with the funds we got from Daytona,” Bayne said.
“I am still not full time Cup and I am going to run for the championship in Nationwide. I don’t regret any of our decisions there. We are off to a good start in both series with a 10th and a first,” Bayne concluded.