NASCAR Cup Series: 5 drivers who could drive for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2019

Trevor Bayne (continued)

Meanwhile, Trevor Bayne recorded an average finish of 23.90 in the 21 races in which he competed this season. Of those 21 races, he finished 15. His average finish in those 15 races was 20.20, which is only slightly worse than Kenseth’s in the races that he finished.

Look at who Stewart-Haas Racing hired as Danica Patrick’s replacement this season: Aric Almirola. Almirola entered the 2018 season at the age of 33. He had competed in the Cup Series since the 2007 season, and he had competed in the Cup Series on a full-time basis since the 2012 season (aside of a few missed races in the 2017 season due to an injury). He had earned one career victory in a race at Daytona International Speedway and had never driven for a top-tier team.

In his first season driving for a top-tier team, which was made possible in large part due to his sponsorship from Smithfield Foods, he doubled his career win total and qualified for the round of 8. In fact, he was close to qualifying for the Championship 4 as well.

Bayne has competed in the Cup Series since the 2010 season. He has competed in the Cup Series on a full-time basis since the 2015 season (aside of a few missed races during Kenseth’s time spent with the team in the 2018 season). He has earned one career victory in a race at Daytona International Speedway and has never driven for a top-tier team. His sponsorship from AdvoCare is a huge reason why he has been able to compete in the Cup Series.

I certainly wouldn’t put it past Stewart-Haas Racing to at least give Bayne a second look, especially considering the fact that their signing of Almirola, whose resume looked almost exactly like Bayne’s prior to the 2018 season, has paid off so far.