04/03/2016
Bayne Finishes 27th in 100th Sprint Cup Start
MARTINSVILLE, Va. (April 3, 2016) – Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 6 AdvoCare Ford Fusion, recorded a 27th-place finish on Sunday afternoon in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) event at Martinsville Speedway after having to go to a backup car following an incident in practice on Friday.
“We’ll move on from today,” said Bayne after the race. “My guys worked very hard getting this backup AdvoCare Ford ready to race after what happened on Friday. I hate that it happened but I want to thank them for all of their hard work this weekend. I’m really looking forward to getting to Texas and showcasing the improvements we have made in our mile and a half program.”
Bayne took the green flag for his 100th career NSCS event from the 32nd position in a backup car that had seen very little track time. In the early stages of the event, Bayne reported to crew chief Matt Puccia that the AdvoCare Ford was tight through the center, affecting his drive off of the corner. Despite the issues early, Bayne was able to improve six positions over the course of the first green-flag run of the day and into 26th.
With the handling condition persisting, crew chief Puccia utilized a Lap 91 caution to bring Bayne to pit road for four tires and a chassis adjustment. Returning to the track in 27th, the Knoxville, Tenn. native continued to battle for position throughout the green-flag run that ensued.
Past the halfway point of the event, Bayne radioed that the AdvoCare Ford had shifted over to the loose side. Puccia took another swing at adjustments during a Lap 311 caution period in the hopes of improving the handling of the AdvoCare Ford.
In the closing stages of the event, Bayne would race hard with Landon Cassill, trading paint for several laps, before ultimately taking the checkered flag in the 27th position.
Next up for the NSCS is Texas Motor Speedway on Saturday, April 9.
