TheOldProgrammer
February 22nd, 2011, 8:02 AM
Trevor Bayne is scheduled to run 17 Cup races but it looks as though the Woods Brothers might be able to secure funding for more... He better make his mind up fast as to which championship he wants to run for... :smoke
Because of a lack of sponsorship, Wood Brothers Racing had planned to field #21-Trevor Bayne in only 17 Sprint Cup races this season. And with a new NASCAR rule forcing drivers to choose one national series in which to earn points, Bayne took himself out of the running for the title anyway. "Whatever they say, I'm good with it," said Bayne, who tied a record by capturing his first win in NASCAR's premier circuit in his second start. "I think we'll have a really good shot in Nationwide, and obviously we've got a good shot (in Cup), so whatever they say I'm fine with it" Despite his win, Bayne has zero points in the standings because he chose to run for the Nationwide title under the new rule (which was intended to end the five-year streak of Cup regulars wining the second-division title).
But NASCAR said Monday that Bayne would be allowed to change his mind. Though the points he earned from the Daytona 500 still wouldn't count, the victory would in determining his eligibility for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Under a new format this season, the 12-driver Chase will feature the top 10 in points and the two drivers ranked 11th-20th with the most wins. If the rules had been applied last year, a one-win driver would have made the Chase. Still, Wood Brothers would need to run its first full season since 2008 to give Bayne a shot at the top 20 in points before the Chase cutoff in September. The team added a race after his win and hopes to secure funding to continue after the first seven. "This limited schedule enables us to continue racing, but you need to be at all of them and that's our goal," said co-owner Eddie Wood, who said Monday morning he had received text messages from potential sponsors in the 12 hours since the victory. Wood said deciding on whether Bayne would switch his points preference was "a good problem to have."(USA Today)(2-22-2011)
Because of a lack of sponsorship, Wood Brothers Racing had planned to field #21-Trevor Bayne in only 17 Sprint Cup races this season. And with a new NASCAR rule forcing drivers to choose one national series in which to earn points, Bayne took himself out of the running for the title anyway. "Whatever they say, I'm good with it," said Bayne, who tied a record by capturing his first win in NASCAR's premier circuit in his second start. "I think we'll have a really good shot in Nationwide, and obviously we've got a good shot (in Cup), so whatever they say I'm fine with it" Despite his win, Bayne has zero points in the standings because he chose to run for the Nationwide title under the new rule (which was intended to end the five-year streak of Cup regulars wining the second-division title).
But NASCAR said Monday that Bayne would be allowed to change his mind. Though the points he earned from the Daytona 500 still wouldn't count, the victory would in determining his eligibility for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. Under a new format this season, the 12-driver Chase will feature the top 10 in points and the two drivers ranked 11th-20th with the most wins. If the rules had been applied last year, a one-win driver would have made the Chase. Still, Wood Brothers would need to run its first full season since 2008 to give Bayne a shot at the top 20 in points before the Chase cutoff in September. The team added a race after his win and hopes to secure funding to continue after the first seven. "This limited schedule enables us to continue racing, but you need to be at all of them and that's our goal," said co-owner Eddie Wood, who said Monday morning he had received text messages from potential sponsors in the 12 hours since the victory. Wood said deciding on whether Bayne would switch his points preference was "a good problem to have."(USA Today)(2-22-2011)