Luke baldwin to make nascar o'reilly auto parts debut with hettinger racing at martinsville

​MOORESVILLE, N.C. (March 23, 2026) – Rising star Luke Baldwin will grab another rung on the NASCAR ladder when he makes his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut on Saturday in the NFPA 250 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.

The two-time and reigning SMART Modified Tour champion will drive the No. 5 Victory Custom Trailers Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Hettinger Racing.

“With all that Luke has achieved of late, a lot of people have their eyes on him. We’re proud to be the ones he chose to make his NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series debut,” said team owner Chris Hettinger.

“The O’Reilly Series is a big step up, but Martinsville is a flat and fast short track, and it’s the kind of place where Luke has excelled. He’s proven he can adapt quickly and run up front driving all kinds of cars. Martinsville is the right track and this is the right time for Luke to have this opportunity.”

While new to the O’Reilly Series, Baldwin is not new to Martinsville. The 19-year-old has a pair of NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour starts at the .526-mile oval, along with a NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series start. Boding well for Baldwin’s O’Reilly Series debut is that he earned his best Martinsville result in his first race there – Oct. 26, 2024, when the third- generation racer qualified second and finished seventh in the Modified Tour season finale.
There is also a family connection to Martinsville. Baldwin’s grandfather, Tommy Baldwin Sr., is a two-time Modified Tour winner at Martinsville (April 23, 1988, and Oct. 30, 1988), and Baldwin’s father, Tommy Baldwin Jr., was the crew chief for
those wins. Today, Tommy Baldwin Jr., is the competition director for Rick Ware Racing’s NASCAR Cup Series team after successful stints as a Cup Series crew chief and team owner.

“Martinsville has always meant a lot to my family, so to have my own opportunity at the track is definitely special,” Baldwin said. “It’s a place where I have a decent level of comfort in terms of feel and what I need in the racecar to make a fast lap. It’s tight, it’s physical, and you have to race smart to be there at the end. I’ve been fortunate to have some good experiences there already, so the goal is to lean on that and keep learning throughout the race.”

Baldwin comes into 2026 after an impressive 2025. His back-to-back SMART Modified Tour titles made him the youngest two- time champion in series history. At the season-ending awards banquet, Baldwin was named Driver of the Year, as he also led
the series in wins (four), poles (three), laps led (293), and top-five finishes (10).
At the same time, Baldwin helped deliver the 2025 zMAX CARS Tour owners’ title to Rick Ware Racing (RWR) in the Pro Late Model division. The Mooresville, North Carolina, native split driving duties with four other drivers, but Baldwin still led the way with two victories. His pole run and second-place finish in the season finale Oct. 18 at North Wilkesboro (N.C.) Speedway clinched the championship for RWR.

“I’m really proud of what we accomplished last season,” Baldwin said. “Winning back-to-back SMART Modified Tour championships takes a lot of hard work from a lot of people, and being able to help RWR win a CARS Tour owners’ title made it even more special. Opportunities like this don’t come around without results, so I’m really thankful for everyone who’s helped me get to this point.”

Baldwin made five Truck Series starts in 2025 and is set to more than double that effort in 2026 with a 12-race stint for Team Reaume that begins next weekend at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway.

“This is a really good way to head into Rockingham,” Baldwin said. “The O’Reilly Series is a step up in competition, and Martinsville is a place that really challenges you as a driver. There’s a lot to learn in a short amount of time, and that’s how it’ll be at Rockingham, too. A solid weekend at Martinsville is the best preparation for next week’s Truck race.”

Baldwin’s O’Reilly Series debut begins Friday with a 50-minute practice starting at 4:30 p.m. EDT before qualifying at 5:35 p.m. The NFPA 250 goes green on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EDT with live, flag-to-flag coverage provided by The CW and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.