Trevor Bayne to run seven Xfinity races for Joe Gibbs Racing

2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne will compete in the Xfinity Series for the first time since 2016. Bayne will drive seven Xfinity races for Joe Gibbs Racing this season, the team announced Wednesday night.

Bayne will drive the No. 18 and be sponsored by Devotion Nutrition.

His seven Xfinity races are scheduled to be: Auto Club Speedway (Feb. 26), Phoenix (March 12), Charlotte (May 28), Nashville (June 25), New Hampshire (July 16), Las Vegas (Oct. 15) and Homestead (Oct. 22).

Bayne drove 187 Cup races from 2010-18. He ran 152 Xfinity races from 2009-16. He was out of NASCAR after the 2018 season until returning to drive in eight Camping World Truck Series races in 2020. He did not compete in any of NASCAR’s three national series last year.

“Over the past three years I didn’t know if I’d ever get an opportunity to race for wins again, but my desire to do so never faded,” Bayne said in a statement from the team. “I’m so excited to have this opportunity to work with Jason (Ratcliff) and everyone at JGR. I want nothing more than to come back stronger than ever and put that Devotion Nutrition GR Supra into victory lane.”

Ratcliff will be the crew chief for the No. 18 team this year. Joe Gibbs Racing stated that the No. 18 car is expected to include additional drivers and sponsors to be announced later.