Trevor Bayne and the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Ford Fusion were on the move early on the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, but it ended up taking some hard work from the Wood Brothers crew to salvage a 25th-place finish.
Bayne started 20th and moved up to 11th by the time rain interrupted the race at Lap 109.
Before racing resumed, the Motorcraft/Quick Lane crew had to repair a rear-end leak, likely caused by a brush with the wall.
“We were awesome until the rain came the first time,” Bayne said. “I guess they saw where our rear-end housing was leaking a little bit I guess where I got in the wall and knocked a bolt loose, so the first half of the race I was pumped.
“We were coming and we got to 11th, and I thought we were going to be really good and then that happened and put us back in the field.” Back on the trac, Bayne had a couple more brief encounters with the wall and blew a tire trying to avoid a Lap 154 crash involving Landon Cassill and Cole Whitt.
The Motorcraft crew went into repair mode and got their driver back on the track in quick fashion to hold on to a 25th place finish.
“It wasn’t exactly what we were looking for at the end, but the No. 21 Motorcraft/Quick Lane Fusion was really fast, and I just wish I could have got a better finish for these guys,” Bayne said. “I enjoyed working with them all year long, and hopefully I’ll get to do it again next year because it’s been a great group of people to work with.”
