From Lyme to MS- Trevor Bayne
Trevor Bayne
Lyme Disease to MS Diagnosis
USA Today
Nate Ryan, USA TODAY Sports9:01 a.m. EST November 12, 2013
Trevor Bayne has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis but will continue to race in NASCAR.
The Roush Fenway Racing driver was cleared by doctors and NASCAR after extensive testing at the Mayo Clinic, according to a team release Tuesday.
"I've never been more driven to compete," Bayne said in a release. "My goals are the same as they've been since I started racing. I want to compete at the highest level and I want to win races and championships. I am in the best shape I've ever been in, and I feel good. There are currently no symptoms, and I'm committed to continuing to take the best care of my body as possible."
Bayne, 22, became an overnight sensation in 2011 when he became the youngest winner of the Daytona 500, triumphing with the fabled Wood Brothers Racing team in only his second start in NASCAR's premier series. In April he was sidelined for two months after complaining of numbness in his arm during a race at Texas Motor Speedway. Bayne, who also battled symptoms of blurred vision, nausea and fatigue, said he was diagnosed with Lyme Disease at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
He has driven full time in the Nationwide Series this season and is ranked sixth in the standings with a victory at Iowa Speedway. He has continued to race part time in Cup with Wood Brothers Racing, posting three top 10 starts in 45 starts from 2010-13.
The Knoxville, Tenn., native won't be the first driver to race with MS in a NASCAR national series. Kelly Sutton, who was diagnosed with MS as a teenager, made 54 starts in the Camping World Truck Series from 2003-07.
Bayne will drive full-time in the No. 6 Ford Mustang during the 2014 Nationwide Series season.
"We are 100 percent supportive of Trevor and his ability to compete in a race car," Roush Fenway team owner Jack Roush said in the release. "I have full confidence in Trevor and his partners have all expressed that same confidence and support. As with all of our drivers, we look forward to standing behind Trevor and providing him with all of the tools he needs as he continues to develop in his young career."
Trevor Bayne has multiple sclerosis
Associated PressT
Updated: November 12, 2013, 10:28 AM ET
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR driver Trevor Bayne said Tuesday that he has multiple sclerosis, but he does not expect it to impact his racing career.
Bayne, who in 2011 became the youngest winner in Daytona 500 history, will still compete as scheduled at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series finales. Bayne's younger sister, Sarah, also has multiple sclerosis.
The 22-year-old Bayne was sidelined for five races in 2011 for an illness that led to hospitalization at the Mayo Clinic. Doctors ultimately called it an "inflammatory condition," and it was never made clear whether it was related to an insect bite he'd suffered weeks earlier.
He underwent a spinal tap during his hospitalization, and doctors ruled out Lyme disease at the time. Bayne was initially admitted to the Mayo Clinic in 2011 for nausea, fatigue and double vision. He'd been treated weeks earlier following a race at Texas after experiencing numbness in his arm while driving, and he thought the condition was related to the insect bite.
MS is a potentially disabling disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Symptoms can be mild, such as fatigue, or severe, including paralysis or loss of vision. There is no cure, but treatment can help manage symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.
Bayne was 20 when he won the Daytona 500 in 2011 driving for Wood Brothers Racing. It was his first Daytona 500 and briefly propelled him to national fame as the fresh new face of NASCAR.
But he was only driving a partial Cup schedule that year, and he was out of his Nationwide car eight races later when he became ill.
Bayne said he is still scheduled to drive for Roush-Fenway Racing full-time next season in the Nationwide Series and a partial Cup schedule for Wood Brothers. He goes into this weekend with one Nationwide Series win this year -- at Iowa -- and is ranked sixth in the points standings.
Jeff Zelevansky/Getty Images
NASCAR driver and 2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne said Tuesday that he has multiple sclerosis but he does not expect it to impact his racing career.
Bayne diagnosed with MS
FOX Sports
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UPDATED NOV 12, 2013 8:19 AM ET
Daytona 500 winner and Roush Fenway Racing driver Trevor Bayne announced Tuesday that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Bayne, 22, has undergone extensive testing at the Mayo Clinic and has been cleared by doctors and NASCAR to compete behind the wheel.
“I’ve never been more driven to compete,” Bayne said. “My goals are the same as they’ve been since I started racing. I want to compete at the highest level, and I want to win races and championships. I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in and I feel good. There are currently no symptoms, and I’m committed to continuing to take the best care of my body as possible. I will continue to trust in God daily and know that His plan for me is what is best.
“As for now, I want to close out the season strong this weekend at Homestead and then shift my focus on getting ready to compete for the NASCAR Nationwide Series Championship in 2014. I have a great team, a great family and great people all around me. I have been truly blessed in life and I look forward to what my future holds.”
In 2011, Bayne became the youngest driver in NASCAR history to win the Daytona 500. He is currently sixth in the NNS standing, having accumulated one win, six top five and 20 top-10 finishes in 2013. He will compete again fulltime for the NNS championship in 2014, driving the No. 6 Advocare Ford Mustang.
“We are 100 percent supportive of Trevor and his ability to compete in a race car,” Roush Fenway team owner Jack Roush said. “I have full confidence in Trevor and his partners have all expressed that same confidence and support. As with all of our drivers, we look forward to standing behind Trevor and providing him with all of the tools he needs as he continues to develop in his young career.”
Bayne has been competing part time for Wood Brothers Racing in the Sprint Cup Series and full time for Roush Fenway Racing in the Nationwide Series this season.
His 2011 Daytona 500 win came a day after his 20th birthday in only his second career Sprint Cup race. Bayne has since added two wins in the Nationwide Series.
In 2010, Bayne competed for Michael Waltrip Racing and Roush Fenway Racing in the Nationwide Series, finishing seventh in the final series standings.
Bayne was sidelined for five races in 2011 for an illness that led to hospitalization at the Mayo Clinic. Doctors ultimately called it an "inflammatory condition," and it was never made clear if it was related to an insect bite he'd suffered weeks earlier.
He underwent a spinal tap during his hospitalization, and doctors ruled out Lyme disease at the time. Bayne was initially admitted to the Mayo Clinic in 2011 for nausea, fatigue and double vision. He'd been treated weeks earlier following a race at Texas after experiencing numbness in his arm while driving, and thought the condition was related to the insect bite.
MS is a potentially disabling disease in which the immune system attacks the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. Symptoms can be mild, such as fatigue, or severe, including paralysis or loss of vision. There is no cure, but treatment can help manage symptoms and reduce the progress of the disease.
A career racer, he began competing at the age of 5. He won three World Championships with more than 300 feature wins and 18 state and track championships combined. He was the youngest rookie award winner in the Allison Legacy series, at 13, then moved to the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series Southern Division. In 2008, he moved up to the Camping World East Series, finishing fourth in the series standings.
Overall, the Knoxville, Tenn., native has 53 top-10 finishes, 19 top-five’s, six poles and three wins in combined NASCAR races in the Sprint Cup and NNS.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Trevor Bayne is only 22, but he's already had plenty of exposure to racing. See photos from his early years.
When NASCAR implemented the 'Boys have at it' philosophy, it likely didn't envision its drivers having adance-off to 'It's raining men.'.
NASCAR
TREVOR BAYNE DIAGNOSED WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
November 12, 2013, David Caraviello, NASCAR.com
The 2011 Daytona 500 winner plans to compete in season finale, for Nationwide title in 2014
RELATED: Full Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup coverage
Roush Fenway Racing driver and former Daytona 500 champion Trevor Bayne has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, but the team announced Tuesday that the 22-year-old has been cleared by doctors to continue to compete in NASCAR.
Bayne has undergone testing at the Mayo Clinic, the same institution where he was examined repeatedly in 2011 for what the driver believed was Lyme disease, which sidelined him for two months that season. Multiple sclerosis is a more serious, less predictable disease of the central nervous system which interrupts the flow of information between the brain and the rest of the body, and symptoms can range from numbness and tingling to paralysis in extreme cases.
"We are 100 percent supportive of Trevor and his ability to compete in a race car," Roush Fenway team owner Jack Roush said in a statement. "I have full confidence in Trevor, and his partners have all expressed that same confidence and support. As with all of our drivers, we look forward to standing behind Trevor and providing him with all of the tools he needs as he continues to develop in his young career."
Bayne won the 2011 Daytona 500 for the Wood Brothers, and was sidelined later that same season after complaining of numbness in his arm while driving in a race. This season Bayne is competing full-time on the Nationwide Series, where he is sixth in the standings entering Saturday's season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. He has competed in every event and has one victory on the year, at Iowa Speedway in June.
"I've never been more driven to compete," said Bayne. "My goals are the same as they’ve been since I started racing. I want to compete at the highest level and I want to win races and championships. I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in and I feel good. There are currently no symptoms and I’m committed to continuing to take the best care of my body as possible. I will continue to trust in God daily and know that His plan for me is what is best.
"As for now, I want to close out the season strong this weekend at Homestead and then shift my focus on getting ready to compete for the NASCAR Nationwide Series championship in 2014. I have a great team, a great family and great people all around me. I have been truly blessed in life and I look forward to what my future holds."
A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Bayne has two career Nationwide victories to go along with his Daytona 500 championship. He will return to the Nationwide tour for Roush next season.
NASCAR on Tuesday extended its support.
"We support Trevor and are proud of the way he's addressing his condition. We know that he's in very good hands and we're confident of his ability to continue to compete at a high level in our sport."
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TrevorBayne.com News Blog
Concord, N.C. (Nov. 12, 2013) –
Daytona 500 winner and Roush Fenway Racing (RFR) driver Trevor Bayne has
announced today that he has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Bayne –
22 years old – has undergone extensive testing at the Mayo Clinic and has been
cleared by doctors and NASCAR to compete behind the wheel.
“I’ve never been more driven to compete,” said Bayne. “My goals are the same
as they’ve been since I started racing. I want to compete at the highest level
and I want to win races and championships. I am in the best shape I’ve ever
been in and I feel good,” added Bayne. “There are currently no symptoms and
I’m committed to continuing to take the best care of my body as possible. I will
continue to trust God daily and know that His plan for me is what is best.
“As for now, I want to close out the season strong this weekend at Homestead
and then shift my focus on getting ready to compete for the NASCAR
Nationwide Series (NNS) Championship in 2014. I have a great team, a great
family and great people all around me. I have been truly blessed in life and I
look forward to what my future holds.”
In 2011, Bayne became the youngest driver in NASCAR history to win the famed
Daytona 500. He is currently sixth in the NNS standing, having accumulated
one win, six top five and 20 top-10 finishes in 2013. He will compete again
fulltime for the NNS championship in 2014, driving the No. 6 Advocare Ford
Mustang.
“We are 100 percent supportive of Trevor and his ability to compete in a race
car,” said Roush Fenway team owner Jack Roush. “I have full confidence in
Trevor and his partners have all expressed that same confidence and support.
As with all of our drivers, we look forward to standing behind Trevor and
providing him with all of the tools he needs as he continues to develop in his
young career.”
Overall, the Knoxville, Tenn. native has 53 top-10 finishes, 19 top-five’s, six
poles and three wins in combined NASCAR races in the Sprint Cup and NNS.
Bayne and RFR President Steve Newmark will be available for comment at the
Roush Fenway marketing offices (4600 Roush Place, Concord, N.C. 28027) at
10:00 AM this morning, followed by a teleconference at 10:30.
Contact Kevin Woods for more information; kwoods@roushfenway.com or 704-
957-1138.
Roush Fenway Racing is the winningest team in NASCAR history, fielding
multiple teams in the Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series’ with championship
drivers Carl Edwards, Greg Biffle, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Trevor Bayne and Travis
Pastrana. Having celebrated 25 winning years in 2012, Roush Fenway is the
leader in NASCAR marketing solutions, pioneering motorsport’s first team-
focused TV show and its award-winning marketing campaigns for
RickyvsTrevor.com, “25 Winning Years” and Google+. Visit
http://www.RoushFenway.com, circle on Google+ at +Roush Fenway Racing
, become a fan on Facebook and Instagram
http://instagram.com/roushfenwayracing and follow on Twitter at
@roushfenway.