 Release by Souza Media
Rising Star To Drive For DLP Motorsports on March 4 During NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Season Opener MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Fresh off a successful week at New Smyrna Speedway’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing, rising star Luke Baldwin is going Late Model racing for the first time next month. Baldwin will pilot a Pro Late Model for DLP Motorsports at Hickory Motor Speedway with sponsorship from Shoreside Support during the season-opener for the historic North Carolina facility on Saturday, March 4, with the Carolina Pro Late Model Series in a 100-lap event. Baldwin, who went to New Smyrna with no 602 Modified starts to his credit, left Florida with two victories in four events and a championship in the division earlier this month. The step to Late Models will be yet another move up the ladder for Baldwin at a young age. Known as “The Birthplace of NASCAR Stars”, Hickory Motor Speedway originally opened as a half-mile dirt track and was paved in 1967. Today, the track operates under the NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series as a .363-mile asphalt oval. Shoreside Support, owned by Luke's brother Tommy Baldwin III, is the global leader in mega yacht provisioning. Shoreside Support provides the world's largest mega yachts with gourmet food products, supplies & equipment with the mission of making the lives of yacht captains, chefs and crew as efficient as possible anywhere they cruise. For more information, visit www.shoresidesupport.com. "I'm proud of Luke's progress behind the wheel, but I am more impressed with the way he carried himself throughout the week at New Smyrna,” Tommy Baldwin III said. “I think he's got some great potential, and Shoreside Support is really excited to be a part of this.” Luke knows the challenge will be tough – but is excited to get behind the wheel and gain experience at such a historic track. “Definitely super excited for this opportunity to work with everyone involved,” Luke Baldwin said. “Driving a Pro Late Model was something I have always wanted to do, but I wouldn’t have ever imagined it would happen this soon. If you were to have told me two weeks ago this would happen, I would have called you crazy. Starting at a place like Hickory is awesome – a historic venue close to home is cool. The aged surface will be tough, but I believe I’m ready for anything you put in front of me.” DLP Motorsports team owner David L. Pletcher, also known as “Buggie” in the garage, has fielded cars for rising stars like Stephen Nasse and current NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Josh Berry before, and knows how to get the job done. He’s excited to work with Luke – especially after what he saw during the World Series of Asphalt at New Smyrna. “First time I met him was during Speedweeks down there in Florida,” Pletcher said. “He’s friends with another driver in our team. Luke is a likable kid and I watched him race out there respectfully and clean. He did a great job and was impressive at New Smyrna. He seems like someone who really wants to do this and wants to succeed, and it’s important for me to help those young kids that are trying to get started.” “We like what we see with Luke and we want to help him with his development as a race car driver,” Lorin Rainer with Chevrolet Development, said. For more information on Luke Baldwin Racing, visit the driver page on Facebook. For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit TommyBaldwinRacing.com and follow the team on social media.
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 Coby Looking For 5th Win in Spring Sizzler Driving 7NY With Mayhew Tools Sponsorship
MILFORD, Conn. – Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) and Doug Coby Racing jointly announced today that Coby will compete in the 51st annual NAPA Spring Sizzler in April driving the Mayhew Tools 7NY. The historic event, which takes place on April 29-30 at Stafford Motor Speedway in Connecticut, is $20,000 to win and had over 40 cars in the pit area attempting to qualify last season. With Mayhew Tools on board as sponsor for the special event, the team will be a threat for the gold. Coby and Baldwin are competing full-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2023, with Coby chasing his seventh drivers title, and Baldwin chasing a second straight owner’s championship. The addition of such a prestigious event like the Spring Sizzler to the schedule for the potent combination will give them an opportunity to score the historic prize in a historic car number. Although Coby has four Sizzler wins, all of them came in NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour competition. The 51st annual NAPA Spring Sizzler will follow a Open Modified format for the second straight year, with two, 40-lap, $3,500 to win NAPA Auto Parts Duel races on Saturday, April 29, and the 100-lap, $20,000 to win feature on Sunday, April 30. All of the racing will air live on FloRacing.TV. Coby and Baldwin are both excited to chase the prize against stout competition. “If I were to win with Tommy it would be my fifth Sizzler win with my fourth different crew chief so that would be cool,” Coby said. “Stafford is my home track and any more success I have there just adds to it. The Spring Sizzler is a big race – it’s really one of the last remaining races with an amazing amount of history. To go there and win in the Open Modifieds, with all of the different packages people bring, the qualifying format, etc… It would be special. We’re going to bring a bullet. It’s a big race to win and a lot of money on the line. As Mayhew Tools and I have progressed in our relationship, we continue to try to find ways to increase their brand recognition and this will be a major event for the Mayhew Tools, Tommy Baldwin Racing 7NY.” “Doug is surely no stranger to visiting Victory Lane at Stafford,” Tommy Baldwin Jr. said. “With his many years of laps and experience, he gives us a great shot of getting the job done. The Spring Sizzler is a historic race with a long history. We will be ready to go with our best against what is going to be a really tight field of cars.” For more information on the NAPA Spring Sizzler, fans are encouraged to visit StaffordMotorSpeedway.com. The track is already selling tickets for the weekend – one that also includes the American-Canadian Tour on April 29 for 75 laps, and all of Stafford’s weekly divisions, including the SK Modifieds® – one of the most prestigious divisions in the country. For more information on Doug Coby Racing, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team on Facebook. For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit TommyBaldwinRacing.com and follow the team on social media. ABOUT MAYHEW TOOLS Founded in 1856, Mayhew Tools is the oldest punch and chisel manufacturer in the United States, growing their extensive professional grade, American made product line to include pry bars, pneumatics, cable ties, and more. In 2020, the company extended their product line to include a complete line of dual drive and socket bits and sets. Serving the Industrial, Automotive, Hardware, and Construction industries, Mayhew’s premium hand tools are sold globally through an extensive distributor network. For more information, contact Mayhew Tools at 800.872.0037 or visit Mayhew.com. ABOUT DOUG COBY Racing for more than 25 years, Doug Coby is a six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion and one of the top short-track drivers to come from the state of Connecticut. Coby is a two-time champion at Stafford Motor Speedway, where he built his resume competing in the Late Models, Pro Stocks and SK Modifieds. Coby won his first tour championship in 2012, and followed it up by scoring four straight titles between 2014-2017, and another in 2019. In 2020, Coby opened his own team — Doug Coby Racing — scoring his first win as owner/driver. In 2021, Coby won the inaugural Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) event at Stafford Motor Speedway, besting top drivers from across a variety of racing disciplines, including Tony Stewart, Bill Elliott and Helio Castroneves. He also made his NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut in 2021 with GMS Racing at Bristol Motor Speedway. In 2022, Coby won three races with Tommy Baldwin Racing as part of a part-time effort on the Whelen Modified Tour. In 2023, he will pilot the No. 7NY for Tommy Baldwin Racing full-time on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour to chase a seventh title.  Photo: Noah Watts Rising Star Pilots Tommy Baldwin Racing 602 Modified For Two Wins, World Series Title in Four Races
Story by Souza Media NEW SMYRNA, Fla. – After only select starts in Legends Cars, and very few test laps prior to the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway, Luke Baldwin went to Florida just to gain experience in 2023. When he left the half-mile, high-banked Florida oval, Baldwin had two wins, and a World Series championship in the 602 Modified division to his credit. “We went down to New Smyrna just to get a feel for the car and gain some experience, so to be leaving with that kind of success, it’s something I would have never imagined,” Luke Baldwin said. “Being pretty fast right out of the gate was a huge confidence boost and it gave me a great mindset. Even after the first two days, I didn’t expect to go out there and win in my third race. The goal was just to keep the car in one piece and maybe grab a podium.” After practicing for the first time on Sunday, February 12, Baldwin strapped behind the wheel in a race that night, and ran inside the top-five, until he was trapped on the bottom on a late restart and lost a few spots, finishing eighth. He returned on Monday, February 13, and finished fourth. On Tuesday, February 14, with goals of just finishing another race strong, Luke could have never imagined he would park the 7NY in Victory Lane. After 25 laps, he was celebrating his first career win in rather dominating fashion in just his third Modified start. “It was unreal, honestly, it’s still hitting me and I’m not sure I even believe it yet,” Baldwin said. “It was something I’ve never felt before. I’m still trying to find the words to describe it.” “Stepping into it at such a fast track like New Smyrna, it was a little bit nerve racking. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but I had so many people behind me giving me advice and guiding me through it, it came to me quickly. Being top 15 in the first practice of the week on some old tires gave me confidence and it just continued to grow.” Baldwin entered the final night for the 602 Modifieds looking to continue to gain experience, but after three top-10 finishes, it was impossible not to start thinking about winning the championship for the week going into the finale. In the end, Baldwin parked the car back in Victory Lane for the second time in the final night – which was enough to seal the championship for the week by two points. “It’s one of the best wins and moments of my career,” Tommy Baldwin Jr. said after his son, Luke, scored his first career win. “To come here to New Smyrna, it’s an intimidating track. To see how Luke handled himself and prepared himself to be there… All of it is why he ran so well. His thought-process is amazing inside the car. He asked questions where you can tell he’s been listening and paying attention for a long time. I’m proud of him.” It was the second consecutive World Series title for Tommy Baldwin Racing – one year after Jimmy Blewett piloted the 7NY in the Tour-Type Modifieds to the title during the week. This time, the team celebrated a 602 Modified crown with a rising star, Luke Baldwin. “Keeping the family legacy going is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” Luke said. “To do it at a track like New Smyrna, it was special to me, with all of the success my family had there over the years. Obviously I never got to meet my Grandfather, but the stories I have heard about the kind of person he was are incredible. It’s in my blood. It’s safe to say he was definitely there with me last week.” For more information on Luke Baldwin, visit the Luke Baldwin Racing page on Facebook. For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit TommyBaldwinRacing.com and follow the team on social media for the latest updates.  Part of a story from RaceDayCT.com
NEW SMYRNA, Fla. -- When it comes to Tour Type Modified racing up and down the east coast in the last year, Tommy Baldwin Racing has been a force to be reckoned with. Tuesday at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway that force was shown not in a Tour Type Modified, but a 602 Modified. Sixteen year old Luke Baldwin, the son of Tommy Baldwin Jr., drove away with victory in the 25-lap 602 Modified feature Tuesday at the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway. “I’m speechless,” Luke Baldwin said. “I don’t even know what to say. The guys gave me a great car. … I don’t even know what to say right now. It’s special. My grandpa won so many races here.” Baldwin was making his third start in the car Tuesday.  NEW SMYRNA, Fla. – Doug Coby led the most laps in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season-opener at New Smyrna Speedway, and finished the 200-lap event in fifth spot on Saturday night, February 11.
Coby started from the Mayhew Tools pole after qualifying was washed out, leading the field to green in the Tommy Baldwin Racing 7NY after the field was set by 2022 owner’s points. Coby jumped to the lead quickly at the beginning and led laps, then after a few cycles of pit stops, found himself in the lead just after halfway and led a string of circuits during a long green-flag run. A caution in the final 50 laps, and a ton of hard racing for the lead and top-five spots, cycled Coby in and out of the podium. He would settle for fifth – even after being collected in a crash in the final laps and rebounding from it. Overall, it was a good start to the season for the Mayhew Tools team. “I would have loved to have won the race but we had a fantastic car out there,” Coby said. “We were just a tiny bit short on stagger on the last run. We are experienced together already as a group and I know the team knows I can manage the race, and I love that they can trust me to do what I need to do.” Jimmy Blewett drove the No. 76 for Tommy Baldwin Racing in the 200-lap event, and was running strong inside the top-10 late before he was collected in a crash. Blewett had to start at the tail of the field due to qualifying being rained out. The next NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event for Tommy Baldwin Racing will be at Richmond Raceway on Friday, March 31, with Doug Coby wheeling the Mayhew Tools No. 7NY.  Race Advance by Souza Media
MILFORD, Conn. – Six-time NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Doug Coby will begin the season when the series hits the track at New Smyrna Speedway this Saturday night, February 11. Coby will strap behind the wheel of the historic 7NY for Tommy Baldwin Racing with sponsorship from Massachusetts-based company Mayhew Tools. Coby and Baldwin have teamed together for 2023 to chase Coby’s seventh title, and Baldwin’s second owner’s championship in a row. Coby is excited to get to the high-banks of New Smyrna – a track where he’s had success before. Although he didn’t start the only Tour race in the history of the track last year, Coby has wins to his credit in the World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing Tour Modified division. Baldwin’s team also won the World Series Tour Modified championship last year at New Smyrna. “It’s important for us to start the season on a high note and I think we will have a car capable of winning the race,” Coby said. “We just have to make the right decisions with the tires we’re allowed to change on pit stops. This is one of those tracks where there are more than a handful of guys that run well – it’s not just one or two drivers. It’s one of the tracks that all of us love – being fast and a track that races well when the tire wear and different grooves come into play. It’s a neat track. So fast that sometimes when you practice you start wondering how you’re going to be able to pass someone, but when everything comes into play, it’s a good race.” NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour teams will have two practice sessions – one from 1-1:45 and another from 2:45-3:30 p.m., followed by Mayhew Tools pole qualifying at 6 p.m. For more information on Doug Coby Racing, visit DougCobyRacing.com and follow the team Facebook page for the latest updates from the track.  Photo: Tom Morris Rising Star To Compete For Monaco Modified Tri-Track Championship
MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) announced today that Mike Christopher Jr. will return to the seat of the No. 7NY for the 2023 season. Christopher will pilot the car for the championship in the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series in their six-race schedule, and additional events to be announced. Christopher is no stranger to racing for TBR – having won multiple races with the team – including his first NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour event in 2022 at Jennerstown Speedway and events at Thompson Speedway Motorsports Park. Christopher will race in the Tri-Track Series at tracks like New London-Waterford Speedbowl, Seekonk Speedway, Stafford Motor Speedway and Thunder Road Speedbowl against one of the most competitive fields in Modified racing. “Michael has grown to be one of the top young talents in Modified racing and we’re happy to have him back with our team in 2023,” Tommy Baldwin Jr. said. “His success during the 2022 season helped us not only win the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owners title, but also win at many Open Modified events at tracks in New England. He’s growing as a driver every time on the track and will help us be a major threat for the Tri-Track title in a competitive field of drivers and every race we run together in 2023.” Christopher is excited to return to the seat of the 7NY. “This is yet another great opportunity that Tommy is giving me and I can’t thank him enough,” Mike Christopher Jr. said. “If 2022 showed anything, it was that Tommy Baldwin Racing is a threat at every single race we enter. Whether it’s a hometrack of mine or a new one in the Northeast, we were strong. Expanding to competing with the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series will be the perfect way to showcase ourselves to more tracks, fans and competitors.” Above all, Christopher is also hoping to build on all of the success the team had during the 2022 season, and hopes to pounce with more checkered flags. “Although we won races in 2022, we also lost some tough ones while we were up front,” Christopher Jr. said. “I know Tommy isn’t satisfied with that and is continuing to make our PSR Products cars even faster. It’s going to get even better. It’s been incredible working with him alongside his entire team. We all grow off each other and I’m extremely grateful to yet again stand with Tommy and see how the 2023 season goes for us.” For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit TommyBaldwinRacing.com and follow the team on social media for the latest updates. |
