Roush: Trevor Bayne Out of No. 6 Car for 2019

By David Morgan, NASCAR Editor

Trevor Bayne’s future at Roush-Fenway Racing has been up in the air since being moved to a part-time schedule earlier this year and according to comments from team owner Jack Roush Wednesday night on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Bayne will be looking for a new home for the 2019 season.

Roush was speaking with Claire B. Lang when he let it slip that Bayne would not be returning to the No. 6 car after this season is over.

“We’re making a search,” Roush said. “We’re in negotiations with drivers right now to drive the No. 6 car next year. I think the decision’s been made. I don’t want to be breaking the story here, but I think the decision’s been made and it’s been announced that Trevor is not going to be in the car next year.

“Who we’re talking to and how close we are in those negotiations, I’m not at privilege to say, not inclined to say, based on the fact that we are negotiating.”

Bayne has been at Roush-Fenway full-time since 2015, but only managed four top-five finishes and 13 top-10 finishes in his four seasons behind the wheel of the No. 6 car. The 27-year old Knoxville, Tennessee native had scored one win in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series prior to arriving at RFR with a victory in the 2011 Daytona 500.

After completing the first 11 races of the 2018 season, Roush-Fenway elected to bring Matt Kenseth back into the fold to split time with Bayne in the No. 6 car. Since then, Bayne has only run five races, with a best finish of 11^th at Bristol Motor Speedway – his home track.

When asked who would be filling the vacant seat next season, Roush was non-committal on whether it would be Kenseth or another driver, but only noted what he wanted in the driver that takes over that ride in 2019.

“I want a driver that can be fast.”