Daytona 500 Qualifying: Trevor Bayne Is Ready to Defend His Title

Trevor Bayne is set to prove that his 2011 victory at the Daytona 500 was no fluke. He is back in his Wood Brothers Racing Ford car, and he and the car are ready to go. 

Bayne clocked in with the second fastest practice time. He posted a speed of 193.154 mph—only Greg Biffle was faster. 

That's a good sign for Bayne who is still looking for a full-time ride despite winning NASCAR's signature event just a year ago. 

In fact, Bayne couldn't even land a full-time Nationwide ride. 

James Newbold on "The Checkered Flag" quoted Bayne on the subject:

"

We’re just making the best of what we’ve got right now, and it’s tough to do that when you only have a few races.

For me, I’m running about the same schedule I ran in Cup last year. It’s kind of one a month with the 21 car, but in Nationwide I had hoped to run a full season this year and run for a championship.

Obviously, as a young guy, you want to have championships under your belt and full seasons.

"

And with that, and for many other reasons, the future is right now for Bayne. Another strong showing at Daytona will go a long way towards helping him land a sponsorship that will lead to him driving a full schedule next season. 

While he clearly has a strong car and the ability to win at this track, he has one big disadvantage facing him that other top contenders do not. He is not racing in the Bud Shootouts. 

Newbold quoted Bayne on this disadvantage:

"

I guess I’ll be watching the Bud Shootout—I think everybody will—to see how the racing is going to be, and what it’s going to come down to.

But, either way, it’s racing—whether it’s a pack or two cars or a mixture of both, the guy that figures it out the best is the guy that’s gonna win, so that’s what we want to be.

"

Bayne's optimism in the second part of that quote is well-founded. 

While extra experience would be nice, it is not nearly as big a factor as having a strong car, and Bayne clearly has that.