TBR Makes Steps Toward Growth

Hires seven crew members; Philippe Lopez to crew chief Blaney

 

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA. (June 30, 2011) – Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) recently hired seven key crewmembers for both the No. 35 and 36 teams. With the addition of the second-team, owner Tommy Baldwin hired crew chief Philippe Lopez for the No. 36 Chevrolet. The new hires allowed for shifting to create two solid teams. All teams will work their first races together in the Coke Zero 400 at Daytona International Speedway this weekend.

 

“We have recently hired seven more people and put them in the areas they need to be to make our program better,” explained Baldwin. “Philippe is a well-respected crew chief, and someone I can trust to do a good job for TBR. I’m excited that now this allows me to dedicate more time toward the future of TBR from both the competition and business sides.”

 

Lopez previously worked with NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) drivers Darrell Waltrip, Ward Burton, Steve Park and Blaney. Lopez and Baldwin also worked together, as they were co-crew chiefs at Bill Davis Racing. Lopez collected four top-fives, 13 top-10s and one pole throughout his 15-year NSCS career.

 

“I’m excited to be with TBR,” explained Lopez. “I have always worked with underdogs. I really enjoy the challenge. I look forward to helping the team grow to where I see it can. I have a lot of respect for Tommy. We both started programs two years ago. He started TBR, and I started with Nemco. He has weathered the storm and turned a start-and-park program into a full-time team. He’s really the only one to do that.”

 

“Tommy and I work really well together because we are such opposites,” he continued. “Together, we made good co-crew chiefs. I would settle him down, and he would rile me up. We evened each other out. I look forward to continuing that relationship.”

 

Lopez will reunite with Dave Blaney for a third time. The pair previously worked together in 2005 at Richard Childress Racing and 2001 at Bill Davis Racing. The twosome made 26 starts and collected two top-10 finishes.

 

“I’m really happy to be back with Philippe,” explained Blaney. “We worked together a couple of times, and we have a really good relationship.”

 

“It’s cool to be back with Dave. We had a lot of success right off the bat. We had three top-15 finishes in our first four starts together at Bill Davis. We just clicked. We worked together again later at RCR and almost won at Dover.”

 

In addition to the personnel changes, TBR is also making changes on the competition side by taking the first steps to developing their own chassis.

 

“I am really excited about the state of TBR right now,” explained Baldwin. “We are quickly moving forward with our progress on the competition side. We have completed our first phase of wind tunnel testing with Richard Childress Racing (RCR) and now have the direction we need to further along our program in that department. We have also just purchased an RCR car that we will be racing next week in Kentucky. While all this has been going on, we have completed the drawings for our first TBR-designed chassis. We will start building it next week with the goal of debuting in the September New Hampshire race.”

 

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:

Tommy Baldwin Racing was formed in 2009 by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin. Baldwin utilized a slumping economy to open a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team with a stringent budget. The team competed in two full seasons with multiple drivers behind the wheel of the No. 36 Chevrolet and improved in the standings each year.

 

Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the full NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2011 with NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney piloting the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet. Looking to improve on-track performance, TBR found success early in the 2011 season with partners Golden Corral, Big Red and Accell Construction. TBR’s driver development program, Heinke-Baldwin Racing, will also compete in various NASCAR series in 2011.

 

For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit tommybaldwinracing.com or follow us on Facebook, facebook.com/TBR.HBR, and Twitter, twitter.com/TBR_Racing.

NASCAR Sprint Series Advance

Tommy Baldwin Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Advance:

Richmond International Raceway

Race: Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series: 9 of 36

Track: Richmond International Raceway

Track Length: .75 miles

Date: April 30, 2011

Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) will head to Richmond International Raceway (RIR) with momentum from a strong run at Talladega Superspeedway. Dave Blaney looks to drive the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet to a solid finish in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 on Saturday.

TBR AT RICHMOND – TBR looks to make the team’s fifth start at the Richmond, Va., track. Casey Mears collected the team’s best start of 13th and finish of 26th in the 2010 spring race.

BLANEY AT RICHMOND – Blaney will make his 21st start at the .75-mile speedway. He collected one top-five and two top-10 finishes in his NSCS career. He recorded his best start of third in the fall race at RIR in 2002. The Buckeye Bullet scored his best finish of fourth in the 2006 fall race, while teamed up with Tommy Baldwin at Bill Davis Racing. He is tied at seventh for the best closers positions improved in the last 10 percent of laps in each race, where he gained 13 position in this past 12 races.

KIDS EAT FREE – Golden Corral returns to the No. 36 TBR Chevrolet this weekend and will once again hold the “Feeding America’s Families” promotion. If the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet finishes in the top-10 in the Crown Royal presents the Matthew and Daniel Hansen 400 this weekend, kids will get a free kid buffet on Monday, May 1st with the purchase of an adult buffet. Golden Corral will also donate $5,000 to the Disabled American Veterans (DAV).

CHASSIS NO. 78 – Blaney will pilot the No. 78 chassis. The TBR team ran the No. 78 at Phoenix International Raceway and Martinsville Speedway this year. The chassis’ best outing was a 25th-place start and 30th-place finish at Martinsville Speedway.

LAST RACE RECAP: AARON’S 499 – Blaney and the TBR team started from the 35th spot at Talladega Superspeedway. Blaney hung back for the first 100 laps to avoid trouble. When lap 100 hit, Blaney drove the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet up to the lead. He continued to drive through the field and led 21 laps throughout the event, the second most laps led. The Golden Corral team looked to have a solid finish in store when an incident in turn three sent the No. 36 Chevrolet spinning with four laps to go. Without a yellow, Blaney finished 27th, the last car on the lead lap.

IN THE POINTS – TBR is still vying for a coveted top-35 position in NSCS Owner Points. Just 11 points out of 35th, the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet sits in the 37th spot, improving one spot from the following week. Blaney continues to hold the 33rd position in NSCS Driver Points.

TOP-35 IMPORTANCE – Starting at Martinsville Speedway, the 2011 NSCS Owner Points will guarantee the top-35 teams a starting spot each week. The No. 36 TBR team’s main goal of the weekend is to work their way into the top-35 and guarantee a spot in the race at Darlington Raceway. If the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevrolet moves into the top-35 this weekend, it will be the first time since the team’s inception in 2009 that TBR will have a guaranteed starting spot, which would allow the team to focus solely on race day setup instead of qualifying.

LIGHTHOUSE MISSION – The Lighthouse Mission logo debuted on the No. 36 Golden Corral Chevroletat Daytona International Speedway and will be present for the entire 2011 season. TBR has teamed up to help the Long Island based charity build awareness and raise funds for Lighthouse Mission. For more information on Lighthouse Mission, visit http://www.lighthousemission.net.

KEEPING UP WITH TBR – Keep up with TBR by following twitter.com/TBR_Racing and facebook.com/TBR.HBR.

Dave Blaney Quotes:

ON RICHMOND – “Richmond is always a great race for the fans because there is good racing there, and I think most drivers would agree. The shape and size of the racetrack allows for us to pass. Tommy and I finished fourth there in 2006 at Bill Davis Racing, and the team has done a good job on our short track package. I’m excited to get back to the track and see what we can do.”

Tommy Baldwin Quotes:

ON GOLDEN CORRAL – “We are thrilled to have Golden Corral come back and support us for the rest of the season. Golden Corral is a well-established company, and we are proud they recognized our team’s hard work and performance. We look forward to competing for a top-10 for the ‘Racing for America’s Families’ promotion and will work hard to build successful programs with all of our partners.”

2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Season – Tommy Baldwin Racing:

DateEventLocationStartFinishLapsLaps LedStatusPoints

2/20Daytona 500Daytona4226198/2083AccidentDriver: 24 Owner: 26

2/27Subway Fresh Fit 500Phoenix434227/3120ElectricalDriver: 36 Owner: 39

3/6Kobalt Tools 400Las Vegas3434260/2671RunningDriver: 35 Owner: 38

3/20Jeff Byrd 500Bristol3725497/5000RunningDriver: 34 Owner: 36

3/27Auto Club 400California3137188/2000Rear GearDriver: 35 Owner: 37

4/3Goody’s Fast Relief 500Martinsville2530486/5000RunningDriver: 34 Owner: 38

4/9Samsung Mobile 500Texas3830329/3341RunningDriver: 33 Owner: 38

4/17Aaron’s 499Talladega3527188/18821RunningDriver: 33 Owner: 37

About Golden Corral Corporation:

Founded in 1973, privately held Golden Corral Corp. is headquartered in Raleigh, N.C. Golden Corral currently has 485 restaurants in 41 states. The company’s vision is to be the leader in the family restaurant segment by making pleasurable dining affordable for every guest, at every restaurant, every day. Golden Corral restaurants nationwide have long been strong supporters of the U.S. Military and the Disabled American Veterans (DAV). Golden Corral helped raise more than $1,000,000 for the DAV in 2010 as part of its annual “Military Appreciation Monday” initiative. For more information on Golden Corral, visit http://www.goldencorral.com.

About Tommy Baldwin Racing:

Tommy Baldwin Racing was formed in 2009 by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Crew Chief Tommy Baldwin. Baldwin utilized a slumping economy to open a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team for a fraction of the cost. The team competed in two full seasons with multiple drivers behind the wheel of the No. 36 Chevrolet and improved in the standings each year.

Based in Mooresville, N.C., TBR will compete in the full NASCAR Sprint Cup schedule in 2011 with NASCAR veteran Dave Blaney piloting the No. 36 Tommy Baldwin Racing Chevrolet. Looking to improve on-track performance and increase the number of races they complete, TBR is still seeking partners to support their racing efforts. TBR’s driver development program, Heinke-Baldwin Racing, will also compete in various NASCAR series in 2011.

For more information on Tommy Baldwin Racing, visit tommybaldwinracing.com or follow us on Facebook, facebook.com/TBR.HBR, and Twitter, twitter.com/TBR_Racing.