Tommy Baldwin Jr., a native of Bellport, N.Y., has proven the importance of chemistry between driver and crew chief in the rise into the top-10 of the Winston Cup standings by Ward Burton. Baldwin, 34, put Burton back in Victory Lane for the first time since 1995 when he engineered his spring 2000 victory at Darlington Raceway. The team placed 10th in the standings with four top-5s and 17 top-10s.

Baldwin broke into the crew chief's ranks in 1997 with veteran car owner Junie Donlavey. He joined Bill Davis Racing at the end of the 1998 season and scored five top-5s and six top-10s in eight races. Baldwin learned about racing by working with his father Tom Baldwin, a long-time competitor in the Featherlite Modified Series.