NASCAR veteran Tommy Baldwin Jr. recently sat down with Kenny Wallace to revisit a massive "what if" moment from his career. While Baldwin is well known for his success with Ward Burton and Bill Davis Racing, many fans don't know he was actually the man chosen to succeed Ray Evernham as the crew chief for Jeff Gordon at Hendrick Motorsports.

The topic came up when Wallace mentioned how much Mark Martin respected Baldwin’s work ethic. Kenny noted, "He said the reason he wanted you is because he was part of a big team at Roush Racing, and he knew that you would fight for him to get those chassis set up… How did that make you feel, Tommy?"

"We were having a lot of success, with the 22 of Ward Burton at Bill Davis Racing," Baldwin said. "I had like three or four different opportunities at a time. And the biggest opportunity I had at that time was to take over Jeff Gordon’s deal after Ray Evernham."

The switch was already a done deal before it got ripped apart. "The contract actually was signed. We were gonna get ready to announce it in Michigan," he explained. "I waited 'til the last minute because I didn’t want to cause any conflicts or problems at Bill Davis… because he gave me my first real, real shot."

However, a phone call to his father changed everything. "Then I called my dad… I said, 'Man, I just want to let you know, this afternoon we’re going to announce.' And it was silence on the phone. And I was like, 'Yeah, what’s wrong?' He goes, 'Why are you going there?'" His father questioned why he would join a dynasty that was already built instead of finishing the one he started.

"And then I called my son. He was young at the time. He started crying because he’s friends with Jeb and loved the Burton family." Feeling the weight of those reactions, Baldwin made a move that shocked the industry.

"I called up Ray… they were getting ready to announce, and I said, 'You gotta rip up that contract, man.' Ray and I have been friends since I was ten years old. And he was gracious enough to rip it up, and I stayed at Bill Davis for a couple more years there."

Fighting Through a Different Kind of Battle

Following the same conversation, Baldwin talked about how the toughest challenge for him didn't happen on the track, but during his 2023 fight with cancer. The diagnosis forced him away from the garage and into a long period of recovery that tested him in new ways.

Speaking to Wallace, he admitted, “I had a little battle with cancer, and I tell you... and it took longer than I expected to get back to 100%.”

The time away gave him a fresh outlook on life. “It was an experience, man. You know, lying there, and it got you thinking about a lot of different things, and it changed me a little bit,” he shared.

Now healthy and back to his routine, he's focused on helping others. “I’m at the gym every day, 6 am. So, yeah, I’m good, man. No complaints inspired some people along the way.”

You can read more on the Daytona Racing Digest!

Written by

Sanskriti Pastor

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason