Trevor Bayne wins in both ARCA and Pocono debuts

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There’s something about first-time events that seems to bring out the best in NASCAR driver Trevor Bayne.

In his first Daytona 500 in 2011, Bayne came out of the proverbial nowhere to shock the world by taking the checkered flag one day after celebrating his 20th birthday.

Earlier this week, Bayne and wife Ashton announced that they were expecting their first child in December.

And to top things off, Bayne made his first career start in the ARCA Series on Saturday at Pocono Raceway. Not only did he start the Pocono ARCA 200 from the pole, less than two hours after taking the green flag, Bayne emerged with yet another first: the checkered flag.

He dominated, leading 42 of the race’s 80 laps, including the final 11 laps en route to the victory.

Bayne competed in the race because he wanted to gain more track time at the Tricky Triangle, particularly for Sunday’s Axalta “We Paint Winners” 400 Sprint Cup race.

Ironically, even though he’s made 71 career Sprint Cup starts to date, Bayne – in his first full season in the Cup series – has never raced before on Pocono’s 2.5-mile tri-oval.

And if Saturday’s performance, driving for Cunningham Motorsports, is any indication of what happens Sunday for the Tennessee native, it could cap off arguably one of the best weeks of his life.

Bayne has had a difficult go of it in his first full-time Sprint Cup season. He enters Sunday’s race 31st in the standings, with his best finish thus far this season being back-to-back 18th-place finishes at Martinsville and Texas.

Grant Enfinger finished second, followed by Mason Mitchell, Will Kimmel and Matt Kurzejewski.

 

2015 ARCA Racing Series presented by Menards Event #8
Pocono Raceway, Long Pond Pennsylvania, 6-6-15
Pocono ARCA 200
FIN STR NO DRIVER/HOMETOWN TEAM & CAR LAPS STATUS
1 1 22 Trevor Bayne/Knoxville TN Advocare-Cunningham Motorsports Ford 80 Running
2 4 23 Grant Enfinger/Fairhope AL GMS Racing Chevrolet 80 Running
3 2 78 Mason Mitchell/W. Des Moines IA AM Technical Solutions-MMM Chevrolet 80 Running
4 7 69 Will Kimmel/Sellersburg IN 1-800 Auto Parts-Accel Ford 80 Running
5 5 54 Matt Kurzejewski/Mansfield PA Costy’s Energy Services Chevrolet 80 Running
6 9 77 Tom Hessert/Cherry Hill NJ Barbera’s Autoland Dodge 80 Running
7 12 6 Josh Williams/Port Charlotte FL Musselman’s-Anya Cale Chevrolet 80 Running
8 15 59 David Levine/Highland Park IL Ford Performance-TraqGear Ford 80 Running
9 8 5 Bobby Gerhart/Lebanon PA Lucas Oil-MAV TV Chevrolet 80 Running
10 30 52 Matt Tifft/Hinckley OH Federated Auto Parts Toyota 80 Running
11 3 25 Frank Kimmel/Clarksville IN Ansell Hyflex INTERCEPT-Menards Toyota 79 Running
12 6 55 Cody Coughlin/Delaware OH JEGS Toyota 79 Running
13 19 42 Bo LeMastus/Louisville KY Crosley Brands-T&T Constr-Glad Precision Dodge 78 Running
14 25 10 Ed Pompa/Ballston Spa NY Double H Ranch-Milwaukee Crusher Chevrolet 78 Running
15 14 98 Austin Wayne Self/Austin TX AM Technical Solutions-Pirate Energy Ford 77 Accident
16 17 9 Thomas Praytor/Mobile AL DK-LOK Ford 75 Running
17 21 3 Steve Fox/Hawley PA NormHuttonRacing.com Dodge 74 Running
18 11 12 Tyler Audie/Orlando FL Audie Expo-NP Properties Dodge 73 Running
19 31 97 Bobby Hamilton Jr./Greenbrier TN Nitroforce Industries Titan 1000 Dodge 60 Running
20 13 2 Sarah Cornett-Ching/Summerland BC Race101.net Chevrolet 57 Oil Leak
21 20 20 Tom Berte/New Berlin WI CGS Premier Chevrolet 31 Brakes
22 26 0 Dale Matchett/Cherry Hill NJ Wayne Peterson Racing Ford 23 Brakes
23 27 06 Don Thompson/Carlisle PA Wayne Peterson Racing Ford 23 Suspnsn
24 10 00 Cole Custer/Ladera Ranch CA Haas Automation Chevrolet 18 Axle
25 18 48 James Swanson/Clarksboro NJ Kan Do-Radon.com Dodge 16 Engine
26 16 58 Michael Lira/Port Orange FL Ford Performance-TraqGear Ford 16 Overhtng
27 23 40 Eric Caudell/Piedmont OK Carter 2 Motorsports Dodge 15 Electrical
28 33 15 Kyle Benjamin/Easley SC Greenworks-Cometic Gasket Toyota 12 Electrical
29 29 95 Scott Edwards/London England Carter 2 Motorsports Dodge 11 Transmssn
30 28 49 Rick Clifton/Circleville OH Radon.com Ford 10 Rear End
31 34 08 Tim Viens/Daytona Beach FL Wayne Peterson Racing Chevrolet 9 Engine
32 32 68 Ray Ciccarelli/Ellicott City MD Kimmel Racing Ford 5 Transmssn
33 24 8 Josh White/Charleston WV Hixson Construction Chevrolet 1 Electrical
34 22 07 Brian Kaltreider/Hanover PA Independent Graphics Ford 0 Accident
Menards Pole Award presented by Ansell:  Trevor Bayne 52.842 (170.319 mph)
Margin of Victory:  4.579 seconds Cautions:  4 for 22 laps
Time of Race:  1:35:57 Average Speed:  125.065 mph
Lap Leaders:  Mitchell 1-8, 64-68 (13); Bayne 9-17, 36-49, 57-63, 69-80 (42); Enfinger 18, 50-51 (3);
Kurzejewski 19-20, 22-35 (16); Williams 21 (1); Tifft 52-56 (5)

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Seattle Supercross by the numbers: Three riders separated by 17 points

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Three riders remain locked in a tight battle with 17 points separating the leader Cooper Webb from third-place Chase Sexton and these are only a few Supercross numbers to consider entering Seattle.

Seattle Supercross numbers
Chase Sexton made a statement in Detroit with his second win of 2023. – Feld Motor Sports

For the fifth time in 10 rounds. Sexton, Webb, and Eli Tomac shared the podium in Detroit. Between them, the trio has taken 23 podiums, leaving only seven for the remainder of the field. Jason Anderson, Ken Roczen and Justin Barcia have two each with Aaron Plessinger scoring the other.

Webb and Tomac won the last four championships with two apiece in alternating years, but they were not one another’s primary rival for most of those seasons. On the average, however, the past four years show an incredible similarity with average points earned of 21.0 for Webb and 21.3 for Tomac. With five wins so far this season, Tomac (23 wins) leads Webb (19) in victories but Webb (43) edges Tomac (41) in podium finishes during this span.

Tomac has won two of the last three Seattle races and those two wins in this stadium are topped only by James Stewart. Fittingly, if Tomac gets a third win this week, he will tie Stewart for second on the all-time wins’ list. Tomac tied Ricky Carmichael for third with 48 wins at Oakland and took sole possession of that spot with his Daytona win.

Sexton still has a lot to say and after winning last week in Detroit, he is speaking up. The Supercross numbers are against him entering Seattle, however, because a points’ deficit this large after Round 10 has been erased only once. In 1983 David Bailey was 47 points behind Bob Hannah, and like Sexton he was also in third place. Bailey took the points’ lead with one race remaining.

The seven points Sexton was penalized last week for jumping in a red cross flag section in Detroit could prove extremely costly.

In fact, it has been a series of mistakes that has cost Sexton the most. In the last two weeks, he lost 10 points with a 10th-place finish to go with his penalty. Erase those, and all three riders hold their fate in their hands.

Plessinger’s heartbreak in Detroit is still fresh, but the upside of his run is that was his best of the season and could turn his fortunes around. Prior to that race, he led only seven laps in three mains. He was up front for 20 laps in Detroit with five of those being the fastest on the track.

Last week’s win by Hunter Lawrence tied him with his brother Jett Lawrence for 17th on the all-time wins’ list. With the focus shifting to 250 West for the next two rounds, Jett has a great opportunity to pull back ahead. The real test will be at the first East / West Showdown in East Rutherford, New Jersey on April 22.

Last Five Seattle Winners

450s
2022: Eli Tomac
2019: Marvin Musquin
2018: Eli Tomac
2017: Marvin Musquin
2014: Ryan Villopoto

250s
2022: Hunter Lawrence
2019: Dylan Ferrandis
2018: Aaron Plessinger
2017: Aaron Plessinger
2014: Cole Seely

By the Numbers

Detroit
Indianapolis
Daytona
Arlington
Oakland
Tampa
Houston
Anaheim 2
San Diego

More SuperMotocross coverage

How to Watch Seattle Supercross
Dylan Ferrandis may return before SX finale
SMX develops “Leader Lights”
Power Rankings after Detroit
Hunter Lawrence defends Haiden Deegan
Results and points after Detroit
Chase Sexton wins in Detroit, penalized seven points