Trevor Bayne - Dollar General 300 Preview

NOTES:
· This week’s No. 99 Aaron’s Dream Machine Toyota at Chicagoland Speedway … Trevor Bayne will pilot Chassis No. 054 from the Michael Waltrip Racing NASCAR Nationwide Series stable this weekend at Chicagoland Speedway. This is a new chassis for the 2009 season that Bayne raced at Kentucky Speedway. He qualified Chassis No. 054 eighth and was running in the top 10 when a speeding penalty regulated the No. 99 team to a 12th-place finish.

· Additional Races for Bayne … MWR and Gary Bechtel have added four additional races to Bayne’s schedule. Now the 18-year-old driver will drive a total of 12 NASCAR Nationwide Series behind the wheel of the No. 99 machine sponsored by Aaron’s. The nine races left on Bayne’s schedule include: the July race at Gateway International Raceway in St. Louis, Mo., the July 25 race at O’Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis, Ind., the August 15 race at Michigan International Speedway, the August 21 race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, the September 5 race at Atlanta Motor Speedway, the November 7 race at Texas Motor Speedway and finishing up at Phoenix (Ariz.) International Raceway on November 14.

· Welcome Back, Bayne … Bayne returns to the seat of the Aaron’s Toyota after a two-race hiatus. During that time, teammates Scott Speed captured an eighth-place finish at New Hampshire International Speedway while Michael Waltrip crossed the finish line 11th last weekend at Daytona International Speedway.

· Nationwide Stats … In four NNS starts, the Knoxville, Tenn., native has an 11.2 starting average coupled with an 18.8 finishing average. He has completed 872 of the 975 total laps run this season.

· Vote, Vote, Vote … Go to

www.nascar.com and cast your votes for Bayne as the 2009 Most Popular Driver of the Year Award. Fans may vote or submit a write-in candidate once per day and are encouraged to vote throughout the season. Voting ends Oct. 31 for the NNS. Results will be announced at each of the respective series’ season-end banquets.

· After 17 … Over the season’s first 17 races, the No. 99 team has notched three top-10 and nine top-15 finishes. The MWR team sits 18th in the owners’ point standings. They are 29 points out of 17th and only 96 points out of the top 15.

· Jump on the Bayne Wagon … Bayne and the No. 99 team are looking for sponsorship. For more information please contact Danielle Randall-Bauer at (704) 688-0765 or by email at

drandallbauer@everest-marketing.com.

· Race Broadcast Information … The Dollar General 300 will be televised live on ESPN Fri., July 10 beginning at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The race will also broadcast worldwide on the Motor Racing Network and Sirius XM Satellite Radio beginning at 7 p.m. EDT. Qualifying for the 18th event of the 2009 NNS season will air on ESPN2, the same day, at 3 p.m. EDT. MRN and Sirius XM Satellite Radio will also air live updates of time trials.

TREVOR BAYNE QUOTE:

Have you tried to get any tips from anyone about how to drive Chicagoland Speedway?
“I have talked to David Reuitmann and Martin Treux Jr. about Chicagoland Speedway. They said it was pretty easy to get around. They compared it to Kentucky a little bit. However, once I get a little practice time on the race track, I am pretty sure I will have some more questions for these guys.”

This weekend there are going to be a lot more Cup regulars driving in the Nationwide race. Does that make you reevaluate your goals for this weekend?
“I don’t think it does. We have been able to race with the 60 (Carl Edwards) and the 18 (Kyle Busch) and they are the best in the Nationwide business right now. I think our goals are the same. We want to go out there and learn as much as we can and try to keep the car in one piece. However, I think this will give me a good chance to prove myself with some of the other Cup guys.”