Tommy Baldwin reacts to surprise Rick Ware Racing move switching from Ford to Chevy for 2026

Rick Ware Racing announced last Monday they are switching from Ford to Chevrolet for the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. As part of the change, RWR has formed a new technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing and will use engines prepared by ECR Engines.

The news was a shock to the industry, as well as RWR competition director Tommy Baldwin Jr. The 59-year-old said on the latest “Door Bumper Clear” podcast that he was driving to Long Island when team president Robby Benton called him and informed him of the news.

“I had no idea. Zero idea,” Baldwin said. “I woke up at 3 a.m. on Wednesday morning, and I said, ‘hell with it,’ I was gonna drive to Pensacola. I said, ‘To hell with it, I’m gonna get in my dually and I’m gonna drive to Long Island instead… and then I’ll fly to Pensacola.’ So, I get up, 3 a.m., I get in the dually, I’m driving, I’m in Pennsylvania and the president of Rick Ware Racing calls me. That’s when I found out, last Wednesday.

“Everybody knew the next day. I got to Long Island, worked in the shop about 7, 8 o’clock. Went to the hotel, went to bed, got back up early, flew back to Charlotte and started the process with RCR and ECR.”

Rick Ware Racing moving into new era in 2026

RWR fielded its first Cup entry in 2012 for Timmy Hill at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Of the team’s 702 starts at the Cup level, 268 have come under the Chevrolet banner. RWR has struggled to find success, compiling just two top 5s and 11 top 10s.

RWR currently fields one full-time Cup entry. Cody Ware drives the No. 51 car, and he finished 36th in the 2025 points standings.

The team is moving forward in a new direction. That means lots of work which has already begun.

“I know all about it now. It’s been pretty nonstop since I found out,” Baldwin said. “We went and met with everybody, and then I formulated a plan. We attacked the plan the last two days. All of our parts and pieces are up at RCR right now going through all the process of what needs to be done. Everything gets started over when you switch alliances.

“Everything has to get remeasured — checks put into their simulation, all the parts and pieces, so we’ve dropped of all our parts, and the process is being started tomorrow. Got the crew chief with all the engineers and all the other crew chiefs, all the daily meetings are set up for what happens at this point forward. Just waiting on some body parts and get the process started.”