Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne will return to NASCAR for the Nationwide Series race at Chicagoland Speedway on June 4, Roush Fenway Racing announced Wednesday. Bayne is then scheduled to return to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series the following week at Michigan International Speedway.
Trevor Bayne Making NASCAR Return At Chicagoland Speedway
The 20-year-old driver was hospitalized in April for symptoms that included dizziness, nausea and double vision.
The team has decided to keep Bayne out of the car for both the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series events this weekend at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
“His symptoms have completely subsided,” Roush Fenway president Steve Newmark said in a statement issued by the team. “He tested at Virginia International Raceway on Tuesday, had one of the fastest Nationwide Series cars on the racetrack and his team was extremely pleased with his progress. As a result, we plan to have him back in competition next week in Chicago, and have consulted with his doctors at the Mayo Clinic and the NASCAR medical staff about that timetable.”
Newmark explained Bayne wanted to compete in this weekend's Coca-Cola 600, but the team felt it was in Bayne's best interest "to exercise an abundance of caution with this matter," citing the 600-mile length of Sunday's race.
"Although Trevor would have preferred to compete in all 900 miles this weekend, he respects and understands our decision and will shift his considerable focus to his return at Chicagoland next weekend," he said.
UPDATE:
Roush Fenway Racing and the Wood Brothers announced Wednesday afternoon that Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will drive the No. 21 Ford in this weekend’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Coming off his first career Nationwide Series victory last weekend at Iowa Speedway, Stenhouse Jr. will make his first career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start this weekend.
“Obviously its not the circumstances that you want to make your first Sprint Cup start,” Stenhouse Jr. said. “But you grow up dreaming about this moment and I am excited and grateful for the opportunity; to not only make my first start, but to be able to drive the No. 21 Ford of the Wood Brothers in one of the biggest races of the season.
“Trevor is a very good friend of mine and he’s going to be around this weekend and I know that his help with the transition will be instrumental. Hopefully we can give him an effort that will make him proud before we turn the car back over to him for the rest of the season.”
“We can’t wait to have Trevor back with us, but we can’t think of a better driver to fill in than Ricky,” said Wood Brothers co-owner Eddie Wood. “Ricky has been doing an outstanding job in the Nationwide Series. Like Trevor, he is definitely one of the up and coming drivers in our sport and we are happy that he accepted the offer to step in before Trevor comes back for our next race.”
Sprint Cup Series regular Matt Kenseth will drive the No. 16 Ford in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
”Charlotte has always been a good track for both me and Roush Fenway in the Nationwide Series,” Kenseth said. “I’m excited to be a part of the three-car Fastenal fleet that we’ll have out there on Saturday and hopefully one of us will end up back in victory lane.”
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