KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knoxville native Trevor Bayne will race again in the NASCAR Xfinity Series on Feb. 26.
A week ago, he announced a deal to race seven races with Joe Gibbs Racing.
His last race in NASCAR came in 2020 in the Camping World Truck Series. His last Sprint Cup Series race was in 2018 and his last Xfinity Series race was in 2016.
Competing at this level is something he wasn't sure he was going to get a chance to do again.
“It was as shocking for me as everybody else," he told WBIR.
This all came together pretty quickly. He found a sponsor and Joe Gibbs Racing has a belief Bayne can win.
“Racing deals usually take a year to put together, this one took a month," he said. "The day we announced it I got all those driver feelings back. It’s one of those things that never really goes away. When you’re a racecar driver it is in your blood.”
His seven races are Auto Club Speedway on Feb. 26, Phoenix on March 12, Charlotte on May 28, Nashville on June 25, New Hampshire on July 16, Las Vegas on Oct. 15, and Homestead on Oct. 22.
He’s just grateful to even race in one.
“I mean this is as big as my first opportunity is the way I see it," Bayne said. "When I was 18 years old to sign and drive with Michael Waltrip Racing in Xfinity, this is a really similar situation. One of those things where I don’t know where it will lead to. I don’t know what the full opportunity is but to me I get seven chances to go win a race. I really feel like we have a great shot to win all seven races.”
His journey in NASCAR has been a rollercoaster. Bayne was the youngest driver ever to win the Daytona 500 in 2011.
He had the stints in each series mentioned before, but then he came to a point where he wasn’t racing anymore. Now, he’s back with a chance to build a new career.
“I think my perspective has changed from when I was a Cup driver," Bayne said. "I think I have a new appreciation for hard work. A new appreciation for the opportunity to go drive race cars. Growing up I kind of expected it. At five years old I was racing and at 18 it was expected I’d get that opportunity. I never really took it in how fortunate I was to get that opportunity. Now getting that second shot I feel super blessed to have that shot at i. For me to go out here and make the most of this is to win races.”
If he does win, he says it would be right there with his greatest racing achievement.
“I can’t imagine. You know we are taking our kids to phonies, we are not taking them to California. I told them if I win California we are going to do a victory lane in the driveway because this is going to be big," he said. "You know, I think winning an Xfinity race would almost feel as big as the Daytona 500 to me just because of the whole story: the fact I didn’t think I’d ever get to do it again.”
That chance to do it again comes on Feb. 26. The return of Trevor Bayne to NASCAR.
Bayne said he’s grateful for the support of the Knoxville community as he gets back into racing.