The confetti had fallen and congrats were said to the youngest Daytona 500 winner ever in Trevor Bayne. One thing was clear; what we saw Sunday was the maturation of a future star.
It’s not like we didn’t see it prior to Bayne’s popular victory on Sunday.
His “yes, sir” and “no, sir” responses to questions and even his demeanor in preseason testing had people taking notice.
Bayne knew he had a lot to learn and he needed to take in every lap and every minute of practice. He asked questions and never acted like he knew more than his competitors.
When veteran driver, Jeff Gordon was willing to work with the rookie in the Gatorade Duel on Thursday it turned heads. Bayne did exactly what he needed to do and soaked up all the information. Even in a last lap crash Bayne walked away feeling confident that he could race with the best of them.
At 20 years old, Bayne ran like a veteran Sunday afternoon. He was smart and aware of whom he was drafting with. He knew when to back off in three wide situations and when to push.
He was confident not cocky and even when the showers of praise started rolling in from competitors Bayne’s humility took center stage.
He thanked God for the opportunity and spoke about faith in God, his team and the Wood family.
In a time when NASCAR is searching for a new identity, something to light that spark again, Bayne is it.
NASCAR doesn’t need another bad boy. They don’t need another driver to wear the black hat so to speak. They have a few of them who are more than happy to do so.
We have drivers who at times forget how old they actually are. They make Sports Center and cause debates on the message boards but the impact doesn’t last.
What NASCAR doesn’t have is a driver willing to talk the talk and walk the walk. Bayne is that driver.
At times Sunday afternoon you wondered, is this kid for real?
From his comments about his faith to his surprise at his Twitter follower bump following his win.
He is down to earth and relatable. He is like the kid you grew up with playing basketball at the park.
Bayne is fresh faced, young and well spoken. He has been heralded the “next Jeff Gordon”. He shy’s away from that comparison. In his words “he wants to earn it”.
Bayne was already popular with NASCAR Nationwide fans not only because of his talent but his humility.
Bayne unapologetically gave all the glory to God. In a time when athletes are self absorbed and self centered;it was refreshing listening to Bayne.
A moment that stood out to me was when he talked about the winnings and what he intends to do. His plan is to give part of his winnings to Back2Back ministries based in Mexico.
20 years old and a instant millionaire and instead of buying lavish cars, toys and other things; Bayne wants to do good.
Sunday, Bayne not only earned the respect of the fans but also his competitors as he showed the world that age is just a number.
opinions expressed are those soley of the writer.
Photo:nascar.com
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