It's a very good thing for Trevor Bayne that there's a chance he could get behind the wheel again in the NASCAR Cup Series. Bayne, the Rich Strike-style winner of the 2011 Daytona 500 on his 20th birthday, is the backup driver if Kyle Busch's replacement goes into labor and Busch misses Darlington today or Kansas next week.
No. 18 would temporarily give reins to Trevor Bayne
It's also kind of cool that the Busch family has used their attention to NASCAR to talk about fertility issues, and it makes perfect sense that Busch would miss out on a race because of the birth of his daughter.
Tips: - check my blog Kyle Busch could miss race for daughter’s birth, and good for him
It's still funny that Busch told Bob Pockrass that he hasn't talked to NASCAR about the consequences of missing a race because, really, what is NASCAR going to do? Fine Kyle Busch for missing a race because of the birth of his daughter ... on Mother's Day?
Busch is also no stranger to controversy involving his family, and he rightly lashed out at people who criticized him after his 6-year-old son, Brexton, turned down a provisional sponsor at the Tulsa Shootout. . It looks like Brexton will be heard in due course on his account, winner of the C-Main in the race he ran in January.
And even with all of that, even with Bayne's possible return to the Cup Series for a single shot at a championship car, movie-caliber stuff for a guy who's not even 31, right? Would it have been great if Busch team owner Joe Gibbs Racing leaned fully into the family history and made Ty Gibbs the backup driver?
Gibbs, the 19-year-old grandson of the multi-sport Hall of Famer, was 16th in the Xfinity Series at Darlington on Saturday and is third in the season standings, with three wins on the year and a guaranteed playoff spot. . Busch, the two-time Cup winner and future Hall of Famer, sits fourth in the top series, his playoff berth ended with a win at Bristol dirt amid a current streak of five finishes. in a row in the top 10.
Gibbs may well pilot the 18 one day. It would have been great as a family affair on Sunday, but either way, it'll all be a good story, and best wishes to the Busch family and Happy Mother's Day to all.
