Bayne Earns Ninth-Place Finish At Mid-Ohio

Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 6 AdvoCare Ford Mustang, earned his 16thtop-10 finish of the 2014 NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS) season on Saturday afternoon at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course after taking the checkered flag in the ninth position.

“Our car was fast,” said Bayne after the race. “From the drop of the green flag we knew that our No. 6 AdvoCare Ford Mustang had some good speed in it and that it was all about biding our time and being patient through the traffic. But man, once we got out front our car came alive and we were really able to pull away from those guys behind us. Unfortunately that caution at the end didn’t really help us and we got shuffled out a little bit on that last restart. But I’m happy that we were able to come out of here with another top-10 finish and I’m ready to get to Bristol next weekend and go for the win at my home track.”

Bayne started the final road course race of the NNS season from 14th and maintained his position inside the top 15 for much of the early portion of the 90-Lap event. Despite fighting a car that was struggling to find grip on the exit of the right and left handed corners, Bayne was able to move the No. 6 AdvoCare Ford into the top 10 for the first time on Lap 18. Bayne would continue his climb forward, working his way up to the eighth position just prior to the first round of green flag pit stops on Lap 26.

While on pit road, crew chief Chad Norris made an air pressure adjustment that helped tighten the No. 6 Ford up through the twists and turns of the 2.4-mile road course. Bayne returned to the track in eighth and was able to remain in the top 10 throughout the ensuing green flag run until a Lap 51 caution saw Bayne stay on the track and inherit the race lead.

Bayne would pace the field for nine laps before coming to pit road for his final pit stop on Lap 61 for four tires and fuel. After returning to the track in 12th, Bayne wasted little time working his way back toward the front, moving into the ninth position just prior the caution coming out on Lap 70.

After two of the leaders pitted in front of him, Bayne took the green flag for the final restart in the seventh position but was shuffled back to ninth following contact out of the first corner. Bayne would ultimately maintain his position inside the top 10 throughout the closing stages of the event and bring the Roush Fenway Racing Ford home with a ninth-place finish.

With the result, Bayne remains sixth in the championship standings and trails championship leader Chase Elliott by 52 points as the NNS heads to Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway next weekend.

RFR PR