CHARLOTTE, N.C., Nov. 12 (UPI) -- Former Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne said Tuesday he has been diagnosed with the autoimmune disease multiple sclerosis.
His Roush Fenway Racing team said in a statement Bayne had been cleared by doctors and NASCAR to continue racing in this year's Nationwide Series, The Charlotte (N.C.) Observer reported.
"I've never been more driven to compete," Bayne said in a statement. "My goals are the same as they've been since I started racing. I want to compete at the highest level and I want to win races and championships. I am in the best shape I've ever been in and I feel good."
Bayne, 22, said he currently had no symptoms of the disease, which damages the insulation of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, interfering with the nervous system's ability to communicate with parts of the body.
He is scheduled to compete in this weekend's Nationwide and Sprint Cup season finales in Homestead, Fla.
Team owner Jack Roush said he was "100 percent supportive of Trevor and his ability to compete in a race car."
Bayne won the Daytona 500 in 2011 while driving part-time for the Wood Brothers, but was sidelined for more than two months after he fell ill. He resumed racing in June 2011 and won the Nationwide race at Texas Motor Speedway in November of that season.
He returned to racing full-time this year and stands sixth in the Nationwide series.
