Trevor Bayne - Charlotte Preview

CORNELIUS, N.C. — Diamond-Waltrip Racing driver Trevor Bayne believes he will end his recent run of late-race, bad luck this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The 19-year-old owns a top-10 and five top-15 finishes in six races on the high speed 1.5-mile ovals like Charlotte. Bayne earned a career-best finish of sixth at the 1.5-mile Las Vegas track in February.


The Knoxville, Tenn. native said he will put extra effort into surviving the closing laps of Nationwide Series races. He saw a top-10 finish slip away at Dover when an accident dropped him to 29th. A week before at Darlington a collision with another car in the closing laps saw him fall the top six to a 16th-place finish.

Bayne is Nationwide Insurance’s “Driver of the Week” and will participate in a live web chat at noon on May 26. Log on to www.nascarnationwideseries.com to join the chat and ask Bayne questions about his adventures on and off the track.

QUOTES

TREVOR BAYNE ON GETTING A SOLID FINISH THIS WEEKEND: “Our goal this week is to finish the race in one piece. Diamond-Waltrip Racing and Jerry Baxter have built some really fast race cars. We just need to start getting the finishes we deserve. We have been running really strong lately but just haven’t been able to be there at the end. We have put ourselves in some bad situations but I think we need a little luck on our side as well. I think if we can stay in the top 10 throughout the entire race that will keep us out of a lot of trouble. So our main goal this week is to qualify strong and try and stay as close to the top 10 as possible.”

TREVOR BAYNE ON CHARLOTTE: “I grew up going to races at Charlotte so it’s really cool to finally get to race there. I took a Richard Petty car around the track once but it doesn’t really compare. It’s going to be awesome to take the No. 99 Toyota out there and make some laps. I think Charlotte is going to fit my driving style. I really like Atlanta and Texas and Charlotte seems to be another one of those fast mile-and-a-half race tracks.”

ON BEING NATIONWIDE DRIVER OF THE WEEK: “I think this is a really cool opportunity that Nationwide is giving each of the drivers. I have been able to give a little behind the scenes of my life with the flip camera they proved me. I believe you can see some of that footage on www.NASCARnationwideseries.com. I can’t thank Nationwide enough for all the support they give our teams each week.”

ADDITIONAL NOTES OF INTEREST

• Diamond-Waltrip Racing is owned by Gary and Blake Bechtel along with Michael Waltrip Racing. It fields Toyota Camry's out of the MWR shop in Cornelius, N.C. The Bechtels have owned cars in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series since 1990. The Morgan Hill, California residents’ teams have visited victory lane 10 times in the Nationwide Series.

• Bayne will sign autographs at Nationwide Insurance’s display at Charlotte Motor Speedway’s fan interactive area on Saturday at 11:50 a.m.

• Bayne will again wear rookie stripes on his No. 99 Diamond-Waltrip Racing Toyota this weekend in Saturday’s 300-mile Nationwide race. Bayne is making his first career start at the 1.5-mile oval.

• Bayne owns 26 NNS starts. He has a pole (Indianapolis), three top-10s (Indianapolis, Richmond and Las Vegas), 11 top-15s and has led 34 laps. His average starting spot is 12th and a finishing spot of 18th.

• Bayne is seventh among the drivers only competing in the Nationwide Series.