TBR Adds Truex, Santos To Nationwide Lineup

Tommy Baldwin Racing will expand its NASCAR Nationwide Series program with the addition of Ryan Truex and Bobby Santos, who will share driving duties with Ryan Blaney. Truex will compete in the DRIVE4COPD 300 at Daytona International Speedway on February 25. Santos will race in the Subway Jalapeno 250 at DIS July 6. Blaney will run six NNS events with TBR, debuting April 27 at Richmond International Raceway.

Ryan Truex

Truex will make his first superspeedway start in the NNS season-opener. The 19-year-old racer made his NNS debut in 2010 at Gateway International Raceway and made 24 starts in the 2010 and 2011 seasons. He compiled five top-10 finishes including a third-place finish at Kansas Speedway. Truex competed in the NASCAR K&N Pro Series East in 2009 and 2010 and won the championship both years with a top-10 average finish.


“I’m happy to be back in a race car,” said Truex. “I was back and forth between teams last year, so it is nice to be in a car for the first race of this season. I’m excited about racing at a superspeedway. This is my first restrictor plate race and first start at Daytona. It’s something I’ve never done, but it looks like a lot of fun. Superspeedway racing is something I need to learn as I progress in my career. Hopefully, I can find myself a good partner to work with and have a good finish at the end.”

Santos has competed under the TBR Development banner since 2010. He competed in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour in 2010 and 2011 and won the championship in his first season in the series. The 26-year-old won the inaugural USAC National Pavement Sprint Car Series championship last season in a family-owned car. Santos made five starts in the NNS since 2007. His last start was at DIS February 2011 where he finished 17 ^th in a JR Motorsports-prepared Chevrolet.

Bobby Santos

“I’m thrilled to compete in the Nationwide series again,” said Santos. “The Daytona race last year was a lot of fun. It was kind of a last minute deal, so I’m glad we’ll have some time to prepare for it this year. Tommy and Al have done a lot to help my career, and I appreciate them giving me this opportunity in the Nationwide Series.”

This season will mark TBR’s fourth season of competition. TBR began as a part-time one-car NSCS team in 2009 and developed into a top-35 team by 2011. In 2012, TBR plans to compete with two NSCS teams. The part time NNS team will expand on TBR’s driver development program in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. The team would like to increase the number of races in both the NSCS and NNS schedules, provided more sponsorship can be found.

“We are really working hard to develop young talent,” explained owner Tommy Baldwin. “The Nationwide series is a great place for young drivers to learn the ropes and compete at the same tracks as the ‘Cup series. It is important to give these kids opportunities to showcase their talents for their future and for the future of TBR.”

TBR NASCAR Nationwide Series Schedule:
· February 25^th – Ryan Truex – Daytona International Speedway
· April 27^th – Ryan Blaney – Richmond International Raceway
· May 11^th – Ryan Blaney – Darlington Raceway
· June 29^th – Ryan Blaney – Kentucky Speedway
· July 6^th – Bobby Santos – Daytona International Speedway
· July 28^th – Ryan Blaney – Indianapolis Motor Speedway
· August 24^th – Ryan Blaney – Bristol Motor Speedway
· October 12^th – Ryan Blaney – Charlotte Motor Speedway