Dalton Baldwin is looking forward to the upcoming season of the NASCAR Whelen Southern Modified Tour. The year kicks off with the second edition of the UNOH Battle at the Beach at Daytona International Speedway on Tuesday, February 18.
Last year Baldwin made his rookie debut in the inaugural Battle at the Beach. He started 32nd but finished strong with a 10th place finish.
“To avoid all those wrecks and come from 32nd to 10th with a clean car was an amazing feat,” he said. “Our first top 10 and we stayed on the lead lap in just our 3rd race is just awesome, we’re all extremely happy. Words can’t really explain it.”
This time out Baldwin hopes to exceed last year’s performance.
“Well, I don’t see why we can’t win it,” he says confidently. “I personally am looking for a top 5, no less than a top 10. But, I believe we can win if the chips fall our way and it all comes together.”
The inaugural event was filled with drama and culminated with a controversial finish as Steve Park spun out nine-time champion Mike Stefanik to take the flag in a green-white-checkered free-for-all.
Baldwin is optimistic that the event will run more smoothly this year.
“Hopefully the track’s laid out better,” he explained. “They’ve changed the length a little bit. So, hopefully it’ll be laid out better. Last year was bad and I think the layout had a lot to do with the wrecks. Other than that, I think it’ll be an exciting race, definitely one to watch on FOX Sports. We just need to get a good qualifying time in and get ourselves a good starting spot. From there it’ll be survival until the end. If we can get to the end and be inside the top 5, we’ll have a shot at the win.”
The second annual UNOH Battle at the Beach will air live on television on FOX Sports 2 beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Motor Racing Network (MRN) radio will begin their broadcast live at 6:45 p.m. with a pre-show. The broadcast will also be streamed live at MRN.com and simulcast by SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.
Baldwin Racing, Inc. is thankful for the continued support of his partners including Children’s Dream Racer, Advance Auto Parts of Dunedin, Fla., BG Products, SpeedwayMedia.com, Alpha Graphics and Eibach Springs.
Children’s Dream Racer will be featured on Baldwin’s car and is an organization that he is proud to be associated with, as he explains below.
“Children’s Dream Racer is a really cool organization. Mark Smith, “Smitty,” is an awesome guy who started CDR to give children in hospitals something fun to do. A Children’s Dream Racer is essentially a mini-racecar. It’s made with all the same stuff; tubing welded together to make a roll-cage, sheet metal for a body, a seat and so on. They put a TV monitor and a Playstation or Xbox in so kids can play video games while they’re getting tests done or whatever they might be doing. It’s an amazing way to put a smile on a child’s face while they’re in the hospital.”
Baldwin Racing, Inc. is also working to put a Children’s Dream Racer in their local All Children’s Hospital in Tampa, Fla.
If you are interested in donating or for more information on Children’s Dream Racer, please visit their website at http://www.childrensdreamracer.com/page/page/7713594.htm.
For more information about Baldwin Racing, Inc. including driver bio, race schedule, pictures and videos, please visit www.daltonbaldwin.com. You can also follow him on Twitter at https://twitter.com/Dalton_Baldwin and Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Baldwin-Racing-Inc/567856793233351.
Hi wishing you the best. You have a good guy in Kevin Troczynski. Hope you’re happy with him. Later Pat