Tommy Baldwin Racing Enlists Ryan Pemberton as Crew Chief for Blaney

Tommy Baldwin Racing (TBR) hired Ryan Pemberton to lead the No. 36 team as crew chief for Dave Blaney. Pemberton will join the team as they attempt to make the 54th Annual Daytona 500 February 26. The No. 36 team’s 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series (NSCS) schedule is still being finalized as the team seeks funding for all 36 events.

Pemberton comes from a family of racers. The Saratoga, N.Y., native started out sweeping floors at Roush Fenway Racing and worked his way up to a NSCS crew chief in 1997. Most recently, he served as crew chief for Brian Vickers at Red Bull Racing. During his career as a NSCS crew chief, he compiled two wins, 21 top-fives, 92 top-10s and 15 poles.

“I’m thrilled to join Tommy Baldwin Racing," explained Pemberton. “TBR has shown a lot of growth in a short time, and I’m looking forward to the challenge of stepping up the program this year. Tommy, Dave and I all come from families of racing and have similar backgrounds, so I think it will be a good fit."

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 and a part-time NASCAR Nationwide Series team. The team would like to increase the number of races in both the NSCS and NNS schedules, provided more sponsorship can be found.

“Hiring Ryan is another stepping stone for TBR," Tommy Baldwin commented. “Ryan brings experience and a wealth of knowledge from all the years he has been in the sport. He has been successful with every team he has worked for, and we are excited to have him be a part of our program."