Unsure about his organization’s future, team owner Tommy Baldwin met with his employees Monday “so I can give them the options if they needed to go find a job.’’
Baldwin told NBC Sports in an exclusive interview Tuesday that “I’m exploring all my opportunities right now. I’m trying to figure everything out.’’
He hopes to have his plans solidified by some point in December. Among the options, there is one thing Baldwin said he won’t do.
“I would never shut down,’’ said Baldwin, whose team debuted in the Cup series in 2009. “Don’t use that word. The options are keep going or sell. That’s the only two options we have.’’
Baldwin admits he’s given his employees a similar message “in six out of the eight years” of the team and always made it to the next season.
But Baldwin concedes that it is becoming more difficult for a small team like Tommy Baldwin Racing.
Although Tommy Baldwin Racing has competed in NASCAR’s top series since 2009, car owner Tommy Baldwin told NBC Sports that it is become more challenging to be competitive.
“The technology has just increased,’’ Baldwin said. “Everyone has just become smarter. The race teams, withMichael WaltripRacing shutting down (after the 2015 season) and some other things, it put a lot good people, dispersed a lot of good people to different teams. Everyone had to spend a lot more money to keep up with the Gibbs and Hendrick programs.
“It’s funny to me how everyone thinks our racing is not good. This is the most competitive that NASCAR has ever been.’’
Baldwin admits it has been a struggle at times for the team and driver Regan Smith.
“I think we’ve been competitive at times,’’ Baldwin said. “I think we’ve been really bad at times. It’s been a competitive roller coaster. This year is probably one of the best race teams that we’ve assembled, it’s been a great group of guys that have worked for TBR. There’s a lot of pluses that we have going on, but again, it’s the almighty dollar that is talking.
“If you don’t have the money to keep up with the Joneses, you’re going to be left behind. If you told me eight years ago when I first started this team I would be pretty much in the same spot as when I started, I would have told you that you were crazy. This sport has taken off so much here as far as how smart we’ve all gotten. It’s not that we don’t know how to do it, it’s just that we don’t have the money to apply the proper resources to do it.’’
Baldwin has one of the 36 charters granted to Sprint Cup teams at the beginning of this season. That adds value to his organization, ensuring that his team — or whoever purchases the charter, if that happens — would be in every Cup points race.
Baldwin’s car is 32nd in the car owner point standings, ahead of five other teams that have charters (another team below Baldwin’s leased its charter for this season).
Smith is 33rd in the driver standings. He finished a season-best third at Pocono in August. His only other top-10 finish this year has been an eighth-place result in the Daytona 500.
The organization continued to use a variety of drivers in 2010 before Dave Blaney ran 34 races in 2011. Blaney was with the team through 2013.
Tommy Baldwin Racing expanded to two full-time cars in 2012. Danica Patrick, in partnership with Stewart-Haas Racing, ran 10 races where Baldwin was listed as the car owner. Tommy Baldwin Racing ran two cars through 2014 before selling the assets of the second car (the No. 36 team) to Premium Motorsports.
Before becoming a team owner, Baldwin was a crew chief. He won five Cup races as a crew chief, including the 2001 Southern 500 and 2002 Daytona 500 withWard Burton.
Despite Johnson successfully snapping a 24-race winless streak at Charlotte last week, fans of the six-time champ are calling for the 7's head on Twitter.
While Johnson hasn’t yet taken any action or retaliation toward Smith, fans seem to consider it a matter of when -- not if -- Jimmie gets No. 7.
Their question is simple: What's holding him back? Is it the pit crew? A grand conspiracy?
It's unclear what sparked the rivalry with Smith, whose No. 7 Chevrolet isn't battling Johnson in this year’s Chase, but Johnson's fans make it clear that something is coming -- perhaps even this year.
With Regan Smith still in North Carolina due to the impending birth of his second child, Ty Dillon will pilot the No. 7 Chevrolet for Tommy Baldwin Racing in Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 400 at Chicagoland Speedway (2:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio), the team announced Sunday morning.
Dillon has practiced all weekend in the No. 7 as Smith flew back to North Carolina to be with wife Megan.
Smith has made all 26 starts in the No. 7 so far this year with two top-10 finishes. Dillon has made eight starts this season in the Sprint Cup Series and served as a relief driver for Tony Stewart at Talladega in the spring.
Dillon is currently a regular in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and will participate in that series' seven-race XFINITY Series Chase, which begins next weekend at Kentucky Speedway.
Smith has taken to Twitter the past few days to keep fans updated on his status. Here are his latest posts.
Ten NASCAR Sprint Cup teams received warnings for inspection issues last weekend at Michigan International Speedway.
Those that received warnings were:
Josh Wise’s team failed the Laser Inspection Station three times before qualifying for its first warning. The team also will be docked 15 minutes of practice time this weekend at Darlington Raceway.
Michael McDowell’s team failed the Laser Inspection Station three times before qualifying for its fourth warning and lost its pit stall pick for that race. The team also will lose 15 minutes of practice time at Darlington. McDowell’s team also failed the Laser Inspection Station twice before the race. That marks the team’s first warning toward the new set of four that determines when a team loses its pit stall pick.
Regan Smith’s team received its third warning after failing the template inspection before qualifying at Michigan. The team received its fourth warning after failing the Laser Inspection Station twice before the Michigan race. Smith’s team will lose its pick of pit stalls for this weekend’s Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
Brad Keselowski’s team received its third warning for failing the Laser Inspection Station twice before last weekend’s race at Michigan.
Ryan Newman’s team received its third warning for failing the Laser Inspection Station twice before last weekend’s race at Michigan.
Chase Elliott’s team received its third warning after failing the Laser Inspection Station twice before qualifying.
Michael Annett’s team received its third warning after failing the Laser Inspection Station twice before qualifying.
Kasey Kahne’s team received its second warning after failing the Laser Inspection Station twice before qualifying at Michigan.
Trevor Bayne’s team received its fourth warning after failing template inspection twice before qualifying at Michigan. The team lost its pit stall pick at Michigan.
Kyle Larson’s team received its second warning after failing template inspection twice before qualifying at Michigan.
The first of two scheduled Xfinity Series practices at Bristol Motor Speedway for the Food City 300 was topped by Daniel Suarez, who finished the session with a best speed of 126.046 mph.
The session was cut short by about three minutes due to the threat of severe weather.
The top five was made up of Regan Smith (125.782), Austin Dillon (125.330), Brad Keselowski (125.020) and Kyle Busch (124.587).
Busch had the best 10-lap average speed at 124.005 mph.
Brenna Poole recorded the most laps in the session with 37.
