NASCAR: 3 possible landing spots for Trevor Bayne in 2023

Possible Trevor Bayne landing spots: No. 1 – Joe Gibbs Racing

With Trevor Bayne’s resurgence in NASCAR, it’s hard to ignore his current ride when predicting his home for 2023. His aforementioned success in the #18 Toyota can’t be ignored, and Joe Gibbs Racing know this. Such success could create a scenario for the team and Bayne to discuss continuing their relationship beyond 2022.

Sponsorship may be a factor, as Devotion Nutrition only signed as a part-time sponsor. With a lack of funding, Joe Gibbs Racing have called upon other drivers who bring sponsorship with them to fill the seat throughout the 2022 season.

23XI Racing Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace serves as a prime example, as Dr. Pepper signed on to sponsor him in the Xfinity Series race at Circuit of the Americas.

Younger drivers such as Drew Dollar also show how important sponsorship is to the “star car”. While he has only had limited experience in the ARCA Menards Series and the Truck Series, he brought funding with him and landed a part-time ride behind the wheel of the #18 Toyota.

But Joe Gibbs Racing should prioritize talent over funding for 2023, just as they’ve done in the past. Ty Gibbs may have family ties to the team, but funding didn’t matter last season with him in the #54 Toyota, as Gibbs ended up driving an unsponsored car to victory lane.

If given a full-time opportunity, Bayne could follow suit in the #18 Toyota.

With their recent downsize, however, it’s also unclear if Joe Gibbs Racing would want a full-time trio of Bayne, Gibbs, and Brandon Jones. The team have always had a rotational ride in the past, and parting ways with that may not be in their plans for 2023.

But Bayne’s reemergence could be too good to pass up, especially if other teams show interest in him. This could force the Charlotte, North Carolina-based team to find a way to keep him in-house for the 2023 season.