FORT WORTH, Texas (Nov. 5, 2017) – Trevor Bayne, driver of the No. 6 AdvoCare Ford Fusion, finished in the 28th position in Sunday afternoon’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series event at Texas Motor Speedway as a result of an unscheduled pit stop due to damage sustained following a Lap 245 restart.
“We were starting to make some headway before we got that damage on the restart,” said Bayne after the race. “(Crew chief) Matt (Puccia) had our AdvoCare Ford heading in the right direction but we lost all of our track position unfortunately because we had to pit under green to fix the damage. We will recover from this and be sure that we end the last two weeks of this season on a strong note.”
Bayne took the green flag for the 334-Lap event from the 37th position after not being able to make an attempt in qualifying on Friday due to issues in the tech line. Once the race was underway, Bayne reported to crew chief Matt Puccia that the AdvoCare Ford was loose on entry and tight on exit of the distinct Texas corners. Despite not handling to his liking, Bayne steadily worked his way forward, improving 13 positions throughout the course of the opening stage to take the green and checkered flag on Lap 85 in 24th.
After pitting for four tires and a chassis adjustment in between stages the Knoxville, Tenn. native returned to the track in 26th and immediately reported he was battling a tight-handling condition on the exit of the corner. Although continuing to fight the handling Bayne pressed forward, moving up to 23rd before pitting during a round of green flag pit stops on Lap 154. As a result of staying out toward the end of the pit window, Bayne cycled out following the stop in 28th just before the end of Stage 2.
The final stage began with the AdvoCare Ford shifting from tight to loose through the corners as a long green flag run controlled the early portion of the stage. Then, following a flurry of cautions, Bayne moved back up to the 24th position as the handling continued to improve. However, damage sustained to the left rear fender of the AdvoCare Ford following a Lap 245 restart forced the 2011 Daytona 500 Champion to make an unscheduled pit stop under green on Lap 247 for repairs.
Bayne returned to the track following repairs in 28th and maintained his track position for the remainder of the event.
Next up for the MENCS is Phoenix Raceway on Sunday, Nov. 12.
NEXT UP:
One-Mile Phoenix Raceway
Avondale, Arizona
Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017
2:30 p.m. EST on NBC, MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90
RACE SUMMARY
Trevor Bayne
Started: 37th
Finished: 28th
Complete Race Results:
www.roushfenway.com
