Being a rookie on the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series tour is a rough ride for many drivers.
Though for Spencer Bayston, his first full-time bout with the Greatest Show on Dirt was a fairly positive run to earning the Kevin Gobrecht Rookie of The Year award.
In 64 starts last season, the 24-year-old snagged two victories and an average finish of 10.46.
A large part of Bayston’s success from the get go came from the comfortable nature his car had every night.
“I think last year we started off really strong. Right out of the gate, we started with a car that just seemed always really, really happy,” Bayston said. “We had a balance that I could certainly drive.
“I think it helped and propelled my learning curve a little quicker than I even expected it to be.”
With a solid balance from his CJB Motorsports No. 5 machine, Bayston ripped off a win at the temporary half-mile dirt track of Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, out-dueling NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Larson.
Another victory came last June at Huset’s Speedway, before the season began to catch up with the CJB team.
“But there, middle of the season when things get busy, and there are some really big races on the schedule, we didn’t quite perform the way that we obviously wanted to,” Bayston admitted.
“It kind of just leveled out there mid-part of the season.”
Bayston finished his rookie campaign eighth in points.
A key component in Bayston’s progression in year No. 2 is finishing nights strong. Though when it comes to ways to do so, it becomes a loaded notebook.
“A number of things. I mean, there are tons of variables that all have to be aligned in order to have a successful night,” Bayston said. “Car balance is certainly important. Early in the night, qualifying.
“If you get qualified well, you’re running clean air most of the time. It’s not until that dash and feature where you really start to experience a pace slowing down with the race track as it begins to get slicker, mixing it up with other drivers, getting in other guys’ dirty air.”
Racing around other drivers as the night rolls on is where Bayston tends to see the car performance affected the most.
“It’s where you really start to kind of see your true colors on where you are at with a balance and as a driver,” Bayston said. “Last year was a combination of things.
“I think a little bit of inexperience with myself, at some of the places we went to, certainly, I lacked in certain parts of the night.
“The second half of the night was always tougher for me than the first half. But, getting the car that much better for that second part of the night, it allows me to withstand some of those challenges a little bit better.”
Through 13 races, Bayston is seeing his experience pay off, as the Hoosier is eighth in the standings with seven top-10 finishes.
As he continues to churn out a second year on the Outlaw tour, Bayston is staying focused on understanding what he needs to challenge for a title.
“I think having a really good car, and now for me having a little bit more of an idea of where I need to be, what I need to be doing, how to stay calm and process the race a little bit better, definitely is the key factor to having a successful night,” Bayston concluded.