The Baldwin family has a long history at New York’s Riverhead Raceway.
The family patriarch, Tom Baldwin, cut his teeth racing at the quarter-mile oval on Long Island. He won 11 weekly Modified events at the track in addition to two NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour races before his passing in 2004.
Riverhead continues to hold a special place in the heart of Tommy Baldwin Jr., the elder of Baldwin’s sons who grew up to be a Daytona 500-winning crew chief and champion NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour team owner.
That’s why when the green flag waves for Saturday’s Islip 300 at Riverhead, there will be not one, but two members of the Baldwin family in the field.
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Jack and Luke Baldwin, Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s sons, will make their first starts in the Islip 300, held in honor of the now-defunct Islip Speedway. Both are excited to take on one of Riverhead’s marquee events for the first time aboard cars fielded by their father.
“Growing up all we heard were stories about our grandpa and the things he did and the tracks he won races at, and Riverhead was definitely one of them that came up the most,” Jack said. “I always look forward to going up there, and I actually probably went to Riverhead more than any other race track before I started racing when I was around 17 years old.”
The Baldwin brothers have quickly proven to be among the brightest rising stars in Modified racing. Luke captured the 2023 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing 602 Modified championship at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway, and Jack won the same championship in 2024.
Both have continued to excel up and down the East Coast this year, with Luke winning Modified events at South Boston and Dominion Speedways in Virginia while Jack honed his skills racing at Connecticut’s Stafford Motor Speedway.
The brothers got their first taste of Modified racing at Riverhead earlier this year when they competed in the Baldwin, Evans & Jarzombek 77, an event named in honor of their grandfather and fellow Modified racing greats Richie Evans and Charlie Jarzombek.
“That was a blast. Some of the most fun I’ve had behind the wheel of a race car,” Luke said. “We didn’t get the result we wanted. We got caught up in a little bit of a racing deal during a late-race restart, but we were racing for third to fifth the whole race. It’s just a tight little bullring. It’s physical, and it’s a lot of fun.
“I was hustling it for the full 77 laps. It was a ton of fun.”
The field for the Islip 300 is, as always, chock full of talent. Among the entries are reigning Riverhead Modified champion John Beatty Jr., Matt Hirschman, Austin Beers, Timmy Solomito, Craig Lutz and Jimmy Blewett.
All of them will be chasing the $12,000 top prize for winning the eighth running of the Islip 300, but both Baldwin brothers believe they’ll be among those in contention when the checkered flag waves Saturday.
“One of the main things that my brother and I take away and talk about every time we leave Riverhead is the amount of people, and I’m not saying I don’t know who they are, but the amount of people who come up to us on race days at Riverhead and tell us stories about how awesome our grandpa was and different things he did or the race he won or the wrecks he was in,” Jack said. “To be able to get the chance to continue that legacy that my grandpa built there and that so many people still talk about is a really cool opportunity.”
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There is an added incentive to win the Islip 300. For the first time, Riverhead Raceway will present the Glenn Dixon Crew Chief of the Race Award to the race-winning crew chief.
The $500 award, which will be presented by Nick Rutigliano of Brigandi Brothers Automotive and Timmy Solomito of the Natural Design Co., pays tribute to the late Glenn Dixon, a veteran member of the Modified racing community who passed away May 1.
Prior to his passing, Dixon had been working with the Baldwin family and was helping guide the careers of Luke and Jack.
Winning the event and, thus, allowing their father to receive the special award named for Dixon would be icing on the cake. Should one of the brothers win, it would also be the first victory for their father following a battle with cancer.
“It would be super, super special for my dad to bring that award home,” Luke said. “We haven’t won the Islip 300 yet since it started at Riverhead. It would be really cool to bring one home in (Tommy Baldwin Jr.’s) car. It would be the first win in the 7NY since he’s been healthy. We’re still chasing that.
“It would be really cool to do in front of so many people that have seen my grandpa race and understand my family’s background. That would be the best place to do it.”