Bayne Wins NNS Pole

Roush Fenway’s Trevor Bayne started his campaign for the 2013 NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship in fine form, turning a lap 50.801 (177.162 mph) in his No. 6 Cargill Ford to win the pole for Saturday’s NNS kickoff race at Daytona International Speedway. His RFR teammate Travis Pastrana posted the fourth-fastest time in the session at 50.952.

The pole is Roush Fenway’s second NNS pole at Daytona and its ninth NASCAR pole at the World Center of Racing. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won RFR’s first Daytona NNS pole here last July.

“I’m starting to like this stage up here pretty good," said Bayne, who won the 2011 Daytona 500. “It normally means something good happens, but I’m excited about our pole run.

“This whole team, I’ve been talking them up all off-season, but that’s because they deserve it," added Bayne. “This group of guys, they’ve won two championships in a row and that’s for a reason. Ricky Stenhouse did them a ton of justice and he’s done a great job in that car, but I’m excited to be the guy driving it this year and we’ve started off with a bang here with the pole. It’s not a win yet, but it’s a good start, so we’ll be happy to see that flag flying up on top of the truck here the rest of the season."