Thanks to sponsorship issues, the O'Reilly Auto Parts 300 will be without two of the most recognizable names in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Trevor Bayne and Kenny Wallace will both miss this weekend's Nationwide race at Texas Motor Speedway -- and it's certainly unfortunate in both instances.
Bayne simply couldn't come up with the sponsorship to run in this weekend's race, despite car owner Jack Roush's efforts. Jordan Bianchi over at SB Nation offers some explanation:
Ten years ago, he would have had companies backing up trucks full of money to sponsor him after his out-of-nowhere win in the Daytona 500. But in a struggling economy with companies still not embracing NASCAR with the same ferocity as they used to, that is simply no longer the case.
To his credit, Bayne's car owner Jack Roush has done everything he can to solicit sponsorship for Bayne - up to and including funding the No. 60 team out of his team's own pocket so that Bayne could run the first five Nationwide races of the year in an effort to stimulate support.
Wallace is also a victim of a lack of funding, though Ryan Truex, who is a part of Wallace's racing team, will be running this weekend. Truex was able to find sponsorship for this weekend.
For more on NASCAR week at Texas Motor Speedway, be sure to check out SB Nation's NASCAR hub.