Tommy Baldwin remains optimistic for 2009 season at Bill Davis Racing

By David Exum - SceneDaily Staff

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Tommy Baldwin works as crew chief on the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing Toyota and as the team's competition director.

Rusty Jarrett
Getty Images for NASCAR

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Considering the amount of uncertainty at Bill Davis Racing concerning its future in NASCAR, crew chief and competition director Tommy Baldwin is doing his best to remain positive for the 2009 Sprint Cup Series season.

Although BDR's driver Dave Blaney was able to keep the No. 22 Toyota in the top 35 in owner points, finishing the 2008 season 30th, the team is currently without a primary sponsor for 2009.

Being a single-car team in NASCAR's top division isn't easy, but it is something Baldwin believes can be done. But a team needs sponsorship to be able to pull that off.

"It's disappointing; you feel helpless," said Baldwin, about the sponsor trouble at BDR. "I think we are going to go through a transitional period here so we can move forward. It's been pretty hard. We only have so many guys in the shop, and we've had to play catch up the whole year."

Despite not having the kind of budget multicar teams such as Hendrick Motorsports have, Baldwin's team started 35 of 36 races this season. Blaney missed the spring race at Talladega because he was outside the top 35 in the owner standings and failed to make the field based on speed.

"We're in the top 35, and we can't complain about that," Baldwin said. "There are teams more heavily funded that are behind us. We can't really complain for the most part. Do we want to run better? Of course we do. But these are the circumstances we've been dealt with, and we need to keep fighting."

While Blaney's numbers for 2008 may not have been too impressive, Baldwin said the team is doing the best it can as a single-car team.

"For the most part, communication has been good," Baldwin said. "We've struggled trying to find what [Blaney] needs this year. [Team owner Bill Davis] has done everything he can to try and make this race team successful."