Youngest Daytona 500 Winner, Trevor Bayne, Tops March List of Rising Sports Stars

IRVINE, Calif., March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series race car driver, Trevor Bayne has earned the top spot on the list of Rising Sports Stars to watch in the month of March.  Trevor Bayne, who turned 20 in February, won the 53rd Daytona 500 in his second career start to become the youngest winner of the "Great American Race."  He surpassed Jeff Gordon, who won in 1997 at 25.  Bayne's popularity has increased 352% over the past 30 days, and Bayne, who began racing go-karts at the age of five, cited Gordon as his childhood hero.

The top three spots on the list were rounded out by PGA players Thomas Bjorn and Aaron Baddeley.  Bjorn, number 62 in world golf rankings, upset third-ranked Tiger Woods in last week's Match Play Championship. This month's list also features four NBA players on the quest for April playoffs — Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers, JaVale McGee of the Washington Wizards, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls. The full list and additional details are available at: www.brandaffinity.net/RisingStars/March2011.

Rising Sports Stars is distributed by Brand Affinity Technologies (BAT), a company that calculates daily consumer affinity based on a proprietary combination of media exposure, performance, awards, popularity, engagement, and fan base, among other indicators, for more than 45,000 athletes and celebrities.  The list identifies sports stars with the greatest leap in popularity over the prior 30 days. A meteoric rise may indicate a standout on-the-field performance, off-the-field achievement, or emergence from utility player to celebrity.  

March Rising Sports Stars

(Details at: www.brandaffinity.net/RisingStars/March2011)

1. Trevor Bayne (Auto Racing)
2. Thomas Bjorn (PGA)
3. Aaron Baddeley (PGA)
4. Phil Kessel (Toronto Maple Leafs)
5. Steven Stamkos (Tampa Bay Lightning)
6. Blake Griffin (Los Angeles Clippers)
7. Nick Collins (Green Bay Packers)
8. JaVale McGee (Washington Wizards)
9. Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City Thunder)
10. Derrick Rose (Chicago Bulls)

Rising Sports Stars lists go live at the start of each month; subscribe to BAT's Twitter feed at @BATimpact to learn when new lists are posted.

About Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc.  (BAT)

Founded in 2007, BAT (http://brandaffinity.net) unlocks the marketing power of celebrity through research, endorsements, and interactive experiences. BAT's Endorsement Platform provides daily analysis of more than 45,000 celebrities and athletes, along with the ability to identify, license, and activate talent for cross-media advertising campaigns. BAT also leverages its research and technology engine to engage consumers directly through Fantapper (www.fantapper.com), which brings interactive apps to celebrity content across the web. Connect with BAT on Twitter:@BATimpact and Facebook: www.facebook.com/BrandAffinityTech.

SOURCE Brand Affinity Technologies, Inc.