NASCAR driver Trevor Bayne to continue racing following multiple sclerosis diagnosis

Trevor Bayne will not be the first NASCAR driver to race with multiple sclerosis. (Todd Warshaw/NASCAR/Getty)

Roush Fenway Racing driver Trevor Bayne has been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis but will continue to race in NASCAR, the team announced on Tuesday.

Bayne was cleared by doctors and NASCAR after undergoing tests at the Mayo Clinic. Bayne said that he will compete at Homestead-Miami Speedway this weekend in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup Series finales.

He was sidelined in April for two months after experiencing numbness in his arm during a race at Texas Motor Speedway. He has also battled symptoms of blurred vision, nausea and fatigue and was diagnosed with Lyme Disease at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.

"I've never been more driven to compete," Bayne said in a release. "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. There are currently no symptoms, and I'm committed to continuing to take the best care of my body as possible."

Bayne, 22, seemingly came out of nowhere in 2011 as the youngest winner of the Daytona 500, in only his second start for Wood Brothers Racing team.

Bayne plans to continue driving full time in the number 6 Ford Mustang in the 2014 Nationwide Series season. He currently ranks sixth in the standings.

"We are 100 percent supportive of Trevor and his ability to compete in a race car," Roush Fenway team owner Jack Roush said in the release. "I have full confidence in Trevor and his partners have all expressed that same confidence and support. As with all of our drivers, we look forward to standing behind Trevor and providing him with all of the tools he needs as he continues to develop in his young career."