Trevor Bayne wins the 2011 NASCAR Daytona 500! It’s a name that all but the die hard NASCAR fans won’t recognize and now he’s done what no racer has at Daytona since it’s inaugural race in 1959 – win on his first attempt. So who is Trevor Bayne? We’ll tell you.
Trevor Bayne was born on February 19th, 1991. Raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Trevor began racing go karts at just age 5. He would travel with his father 42 weekends out of the year to gain the experience required to make a name for himself. At just over 20 years of age he’s been competing in various NASCAR series races over the past 2 years and up until now has never finished better than 7th. In late 2010 Trevor joined Roush Fenway Racing and made his NASCAR Cup Series debut in November with Wood Brothers, NASCAR’s oldest race team. Fast forward to the first NASCAR Cup Series race of the 2011 season – the Daytona 500. It was to be a record breaking day in Florida – the most lead changes, most leaders, most yellow flags. With just several laps to go an accident mid pack brings out the pace car. Now it’s a green-white-checkered finish and on the restart Trevor Bayne is in the lead with Carl Edwards and Tony Stewart in chase mode. In a hot pursuit finish to remember, Trevor held position and piloted the #21 Wood Brothers Racing Ford to the checkered flag. An amazing start not only for Trevor, but for Wood Brothers, who has only four wins in the past twenty years and hasn’t run a full Sprint Cup season for five years.
Smoke filled the front straight as Trevor roasted the tires on the #21 before coming to a stop in the grass. The newest Daytona 500 winner climbed out to a cheering crowed and ecstatic pit crew.
ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! -Trevor Bayne
Trevor was in disbelief. He didn’t know what to do or where to go and he nearly passed the entrance to Victory Lane. At only 20 years of age and 2 Cup races under his belt, Trevor joins an elite list of names to win NASCAR’s most prestigious event. Not only did he win the Daytona 500 in his first attempt, he’s also the youngest driver to do so. Something tells me this won’t be his last trip to the podium.
