The 2027 NASCAR season is already taking shape, and one ARCA organization has tapped a Cup Series veteran with five wins and a Daytona 500 championship to lead the charge. With six full-time teams planned for next year, the outfit is wasting little time preparing for the increased workload. Its shop is undergoing a complete reorganization, while crews have already begun building cars for the upcoming January test. The changes signal a busy year ahead for the growing program, which has made winning races a clear priority.

“I got my new work clothes on today. I started at Nitro Motorsports last week. No more unemployed Tommy. Got six full-time teams next year,” Tommy Baldwin Jr. made the announcement during an appearance on the Door Bumper Clear podcast.

He confirmed his new role as Vice President of Competition with Nitro Motorsports ahead of the 2027 ARCA season. The organization is planning a substantial expansion, with six full-time entries spread across the ARCA Menards Series platform. Team owner Nick Tucker clarified that the lineup will consist of four cars in the national division, one in the East Series and one in the West Series. That is a significant operation to manage, and Nitro has brought in someone who understands what it takes to run a competitive racing team.

Baldwin’s experience stretches across several levels of NASCAR. He first made his mark as a Cup Series crew chief, most notably working with Ward Burton at Bill Davis Racing. The pair delivered one of the biggest victories of Baldwin’s career when Burton won the 2002 Daytona 500.

Baldwin later worked with Kasey Kahne at Evernham Motorsports and also held roles with Robert Yates Racing and Ultra Motorsports. Across his Cup crew chief career, he collected five victories, giving him plenty of experience with different teams, drivers, and competition environments.

He eventually moved from the pit box into team ownership, establishing Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2009. The organization competed in the Cup Series for several seasons, reaching a two-car operation at its peak before selling its charter to Leavine Family Racing after the 2016 season.

Baldwin subsequently joined Premium Motorsports as competition director and crew chief of its No. 15 car. In April 2023, he took another senior competition role, joining Rick Ware Racing as its Cup Series competition director. He remained there for more than three years before the two sides parted ways in July 2026 over what reports described as a misalignment of interests. Baldwin’s move to Nitro mirrors his 2023 shift to Rick Ware Racing—a senior competition role at a growing operation.

His arrival at Nitro also coincides with a planned change in the organization’s leadership. Billy Venturini, who remained general manager after Nitro acquired Venturini Motorsports in 2025, was set to leave that position at the conclusion of the 2026 season.

Venturini had spent approximately 20 years as the team’s owner and general manager, helping turn it into one of ARCA’s most successful operations. He described the workload as demanding and said he wanted to prioritize other things beyond racing.

The team has not formally described Baldwin as a direct replacement for Venturini. However, his competition role comes as Nitro prepares to move forward without the longtime ARCA figure overseeing its operation. The transition is already underway inside the shop. Baldwin explained that the organization has undergone a major rearrangement since he joined.

“We flipped the whole place upside down, obviously. Everybody jumped on board and we moved everything around. We moved the fab shop, we moved the put-together room, we moved the setup shop to another building.”

He added that the work was expected to be completed by Friday, leaving the facility ready for the new season. The changes are not simply cosmetic. With more cars to prepare and additional crews to coordinate, Nitro needs its manufacturing, assembly and setup operations organized to handle the increased demands.

The team has also started preparing its superspeedway cars for the January test. That gives the expanded program an immediate deadline, with Daytona preparations beginning well before the 2027 season gets underway. Baldwin also mentioned the amount of information he is beginning to receive from Toyota, suggesting that getting familiar with the manufacturer’s support and working alongside Nitro’s drivers and crew chiefs will be part of his early responsibilities.

Nitro has already demonstrated its potential. Its drivers finished first, second and third in the 2026 ARCA Menards Series standings, with Thomas Annunziata, Jake Bollman and Isabella Robusto leading the way. The next challenge is sustaining that performance while spreading resources across six full-time entries.

Baldwin’s experience could prove valuable in that process. The shop changes and early car preparation are encouraging first steps, but the real measure of this appointment will come when the expanded team reaches the track. Hopefully, the additional experience and reorganized operation will translate into more victories in 2027.