Nationwide Series Most Popular Driver: Trevor Bayne

The Nationwide Most Popular Driver had to be decided today according to a separate poll because it was a dead tie between Brad Keselowski and Trevor Bayne.  Bayne, the nineteen-year-old Knoxville, Tennessee native, began his professional racing career in 2008 when he began racing in the Camping World East Series in the Number 1, Dale Earnhardt Incorporated car.  During this season, he had two poles, one win at Thompson International Speedway, in only his sixth start and six Top Fives.

In 2009, Trevor agreed to race for Michael Waltrip Racing for eight races in the Number 99 Aarons Toyota in the Nationwide Series.  In his first start he qualifies second, but was caught in a wreck, which resulted in a bad finish.  His first Nationwide Series pole came at O’Reilly Raceway Park and he finished seventh, his best finish. 

In his 2010 Season, he raced the Number 99 Toyota with Diamond-Waltrip Racing for almost the whole season, until a sponsorship problem caused him to have to leave the team after the September Dover race.  Jack Roush had expressed interest in Trevor and he drove the Number 16 and 17 Ford for the remainder of the season.  Bayne also had a career milestone last season, he made his Sprint Cup debut at the November Texas race with the Wood Brothers in the Number 21, in which he finished 17^th and on the lead lap.

His 2011 season will be even better because he will drive the Number 16 Ford for Roush-Fenway Racing in the Nationwide Series and the Number 21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford in a select seventeen races in the Sprint Cup Series, including in the Daytona 500 in a few weeks.

We wish Trevor the best of luck!