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Trevor Bayne in Victory Lane at Daytona Speedway.  Getty Images photo

Trevor Bayne Becomes the Pride of NASCAR Developmental Series

By George Campbell

It has been a long time since I was as excited as I was about a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series finish as I was at the end of the Daytona 500 last week. And judging by the reaction of the people I have spoken too since, I was not alone.

The excitement came in the final laps as 20 year old rookie Trevor Bayne became a serious threat to win the biggest race in motorsports. Trevor had been strong in the days leading up to the 500, including an impressive run in his qualifying race, showing impressive drafting skills with childhood hero Jeff Gordon. But nobody could have predicted his performance in the final laps of the big race.

I talked with a close friend a couple hours before the race about Trevor. Actually the conversation started as we were drawing drivers for our NASCAR pool before the race. I said the driver I most wanted was Trevor. I didn’t want him because I picked him to win, but I was sure he was going to do well and was planning to watch him closely all day. Each of us in the pool would have five drivers to follow, picked randomly from a hat. I didn’t get Bayne but my friend Eric drew him with his first pick, and he groaned with disappointment when he did. As it turns out, Bayne not only won the race, but made Eric a fan – but I still won the pool. 

Left: Trevor on the track at Daytona in his Woods Brothers Ford. Right: Trevor in Daytona's Victory Lane.  Getty Images photos

I first met Trevor, who hails from Tennessee, in 2008, his second year racing in the NASCAR Camping World Series. He had actually made his debut in 2007 with a family owned team put together by his dad Rocky. He was just 16 years old when he tried to qualify for his first Camping World Series race at Iowa Speedway early that year, but crashed during practice and failed to qualify. He next attempted to qualify for the Camping World Series race at Mansfield Motorsports Speedway in Ohio later in the season. This time he qualified well, earning the 11^th starting position but finishing 26^th as his engine blew just 22 laps into the race. His team earned a whopping $875 pay day in his NASCAR debut. It was the last CWS race for Trevor that year, and that last for his family owned CWS team.

Trevor got a huge break in 2008 when he was signed to a developmental contract with Dale Earnhardt Inc. to be one of three DEI drivers competing in the Camping World Series that year. Trevor would drive the #1 Dale Earnhardt Chevy while Jeffrey Earnhart would steer the #8 DEI Chevy and Jesus Hernandez would be the third DEI racer in the #11 DEI Chevy.

The Dale Earnhardt Inc. NASCAR Camping World Series Driver Development Team.  Hodge photo

In Camping World Series 2008 opener, the three DEI cars qualified well, with Hernandez best in 10^th, Earnhardt 12^th with Trevor starting 16^th. But Trevor would be the best of the DEI cars at the end of the race, as he earned a 9^th place finish, his first top ten in just his second CWS race. It was the start to an impressive rookie season for Bayne.

Trevor would earn his first podium finish in the series next race as he wound up third. He would continue his early season success with two more top five finishes in the series first five events, including a very impressive runner-up finish to Eddie MacDonald at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in June. Then on July 12, 2008, he would achieve the inevitable with a big win at Thompson International Speedway in Connecticut in the series next race.

After starting on the pole, Trevor ran a clean race and swapped the lead several times with the series top racers including former Sprint Cup star Steve Park and Series Champion Matt Kobyluck. He led thirteen laps that day, including the most important one, the checkered flag lap.  Bayne took the lead from DEI teammate Jesus Hernandez on a lap 97 restart and won by a car length. Bayne and Hernandez swapped the lead five times over the second half of the race. Hernandez finished second followed by two-time series champion Brad Leighton in third.

Trevor was both excited and humbled as the team celebrated in victory lane that night. After having watched Trevor race and conduct himself at NHMS in the previous race, I knew this was a kid to keep an eye on. After his performance at Thompson, I was sold; I knew this impressive 17 year old kid had a bright future in the sport. Of all the young developmental drivers that were dominating the series that year, he stood out among them to me as the one that was the most complete package already. He had the talent, charisma and face that could become more than just a kid pushed up the ladder because they had a birthright or big checkbook. He was refreshing to a series that was in need of a little refreshing at that time.

Trevor would earn two more runner-up finishes with DEI in 2008, finishing fourth in the overall point standings at years end. DEI would close down the developmental program at the years end, leaving Trevor without a ride in 2009, despite such an impressive rookie year.

He made a single CWS start for Dave Davis Motorsports in 2009 when he started second and finished 6th at Tri-County Speedway in Hudson, N.C., before he made his NASCAR Nationwide Series debut at Bristol Speedway in a car put together by his dad. He qualified 23^rd and finished 26^th, well enough to earn a full time ride with Michael Waltrip Racing.

Left: Trevor displays his Coors Pole Award at Thompson in 2008. Right: Trevor with his Nationwide Coors Pole Award in 2009.

In just his sixth start with MWR, he would surprise everyone in the series by earning the pole position at Indianapolis Raceway Park and finishing with an impressive seventh place finish. He would match that season best seventh place finish at historic Richmond International Raceway.

He would race for MWR in the Nationwide Series in 2010, until late in the season when he was released due to a lack of funding. It would only be a few days before Jack Roush would come calling though. Roush quickly signed the 18 year old to a contract. He finished the year for Roush and is committed to run the entire 2011 Nationwide Series for Roush as well.

The win for Wood Brothers at Daytona was an amazing step for the 20 year old, as he became the youngest winner of the race in the events 53 year history. He quickly became the face of the sport for a week anyway, and who knows where this will lead the 20 year old kid from Tennessee.

The win wasn’t just popular among the fans, it was a popular win in the garage area as well. A long list of drivers made it a point to go to victory lane to congratulate Bayne, from his childhood hero Jeff Gordon to runner-up Carl Edwards. Richard Petty was among the first to shake his hand as well.

“I keep thinking I’m dreaming, I really do,” said Bayne immediately following his win. “I am so thankful for the job these guys did on this car. It is unbelievable. Our first 500, are you kidding me? To win the first one?”

“As a friend of Trevor’s, it’s amazing to watch him have that success,” said Carl Edwards, who got to know Bayne last year while competing in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. “He’s done a really good job of keeping his composure. He drives like a veteran.”

“That’s one of the most special parts of it,” Eddie Wood said of having the Woods family in victory lane after the win. “With what our dad and Leonard (Wood, uncle) accomplished in the 70s, 80s, and the 60s, too – we felt like we had dropped the ball. To get back to (victory lane) and have them back in victory lane – and Richard Petty bringing dad in – it feels good to get the family name back going.”

After the win he immediately began a media tour that will took him to ESPN headquarters in Bristol, Conn., then on to Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles and finally Phoenix for this week’s race at Phoenix International Raceway. He was on national news programs and many variety shows you would not ordinarily see a NASCAR racer appearing on.

Trevor as a guest on the Ellen day time talk show.

“Every time I get done with one thing they hand me another phone and I’m talking,” Bayne said.  “I like to talk a lot, but after this week you might not hear anything except crickets.”

Though he’s young and has only two starts in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Bayne understands the gravity of the win.

“The first realization I got is when I was talking to (the Wood Brothers),” said Bayne. “They said it was as cool as (David) Pearson’s win and that’s when it sinks in because I don’t put myself on that kind of stage with those guys. I don’t think of myself as doing the same thing that David Pearson did or AJ Foyt or Tiny Lund or Cale Yarborough. When they made that comment, that this was one of their coolest 500 wins, that’s when I thought, ‘Wow, this is real. This is something that a lot of people strive for their whole career. This is one of the biggest races in motorsports and we were the ones in victory lane.”

This kid has exactly what it takes to become the face of the sport for a long time to come. He is just 20 years old and has a tremendous future in front of him. He is not planning a full time Sprint Cup schedule in 2011, but he certainly has caught the attention of a lot of eyes that will open many doors as he continues to progress.

Left: Trevor signs a card for a CWS fan in 2008. Right: Trevor in his DEI car at Stafford Speedway. Hodge photos

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Last Updated on 02/26/11
By George Campbell or Greg Fish
Email: neracing@neracing.com