Mike Christopher Jr. To Compete On Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series For Tommy Baldwin Jr. In 2023

Tommy Baldwin Jr. (left) with driver Mike Christopher Jr. (right) (Photo: Shawn Courchesne/RaceDayCT)

Chasing Modified championships all over the map will be the theme for Tommy Baldwin Racing in 2023. 

Team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. has already announced that he will be fielding Doug Coby on the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour full-time in 2023 along with Caleb Heady full-time on the SMART Modified Tour. 

Thursday he added another title the team will be hunting. 

Baldwin announced Thursday that Mike Christopher Jr. will compete for him full-time on the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series in 2023. 

It will mark the first foray into competing full-time on the series for Baldwin and Christopher. 

“It’s nice finally get it all together,” Baldwin told RaceDayCT. “I’m looking forward to racing with all the Tri-Track competitors and the officials there. It’s a great group of people. We’re excited to be a part of it for 2023. And excited to be going for not only wins but the Tri-Track championship.” 

Christopher made two Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series starts in 2022 for Baldwin. He finished second when the series visited the New London-Waterford Speedbowl in August. The team also competed in the NAPA Fall Final event for the series at Stafford Speedway. 

“I’m super excited,” Christopher said. “The Tri-Track series has been growing in popularity. Not only does it have Matt Hirschman, but it’s got a bunch of other good race car drivers that go to great race tracks.” 

Christopher has competed in various Tour Type Modified events over recent years for Baldwin. Last year Christopher made four Whelen Modified Tour starts for Baldwin and recored his first series victory and three podium finishes. Christopher was third in the Whelen Modified Tour seasons opener in 2022 at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway. He got his first series victory last May at Jennerstown (Pa.) Speedway and he was second in the Whelen Modified Tour’s October event at Thompson Speedway.

Christopher also won the Icebreaker 125 and Nutmeg 75 Thompson Outlaw Modified events at Thompson Speedway in 2022 driving for Baldwin.

The 2023 Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series schedule features six events. The season kicks off at Thunder Road in Barre, Vt on May 28. The series will also visit Seekonk (Mass.) Speedway (June 28), Star Speedway in Epping, N.H. (July 22), the Speedowl (Aug. 12, Oct. 21) and Stafford (Sept. 23). 

“We performed well at [the New London-Waterford Speedbowl] last year and they’re going there twice this year,” Christopher said. “So that’s awesome. It’s a home track and we get to represent the Bowl. Obviously they go to Stafford, so we get to represent them too. And they go to different race tracks that I haven’t been to, so that’s going to be fun and exciting. Tommy is at the top of his game right now so I don’t have any worries that we’re going to show up to a new race track and not be fast.” 

Baldwin won the 2022 Whelen Modified Tour team owner’s championship with the stable of Christopher, Coby and Jimmy Blewett combining to run the 16 events on the schedule last year. Heady won the 2022 SMART championship with Baldwin. 

“Michael has grown to be one of the top young talents in Modified racing and we’re happy to have him back with our team in 2023,” Tommy said. “His success during the 2022 season helped us not only win the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour owners title, but also win at many Open Modified events at tracks in New England. He’s growing as a driver every time on the track and will help us be a major threat for the Tri-Track title in a competitive field of drivers and every race we run together in 2023.”

Said Christopher: “If 2022 showed anything, it was that Tommy Baldwin Racing is a threat at every single race we enter. Whether it’s a hometrack of mine or a new one in the Northeast, we were strong. Expanding to competing with the Monaco Modified Tri-Track Series will be the perfect way to showcase ourselves to more tracks, fans and competitors.”


Comments

  1. With all Stafford is doing I hope they can get pit road fixt for little Tommy

  2. Is it just me, or does it seem that Tommy Baldwin Jr is fielding cars in just about every tour or tour type series out there for 2023.

  3. i wonder how many north/south cars tbr plans to use.. seems possible that they could get lost setting the car up for each driver.. baldwin has stated that he wanted to stabilize his drivers\events this season..

  4. Rafter fan says

    Do we know if TBR/MCJr plan to run the open mod events at Stafford and Thompson?

  5. Rafter Fan,
    Any other events they do beyond what was announced yesterday have not been decided yet.

  6. Suitcase Jake says

    Mike is really a thinking Man’s Driver… Steady hand …. Tons of Talent …. It’s like a mix of his Dad and Uncle Ted … Perfect combo … Steady .. Cool… aggressive when going for the Win …Teaming up with Tommy has been very successful in the past and hopefully will continue into the future …. all the elements are in place for a serious effort in 2023… another added plus for Tri-Track .. It will be great to see 7NY at Seekonk for the $10k to Win Race which Tommy hasn’t really fielded many starts at that race that I can REMEMBER …. Good Luck Mike & Tommy 7NY …

  7. I agree Christopher is more cerebral then anything. If it’s New Smyrna, Richmond, Martinsville, Jennerstown, Stafford or Thompson he’s the guy to have. Patient, sets cars up nicely, takes what he knows his car has and leaves the swashbuckling, daring do to others. The amount of times Jr. has roughed someone up anywhere and been confronted exiting his car could probably be counted on a few fingers. Rocco at Waterford being the only serious one I can recall.
    That’s why I don’t see this as that great a fit for the MMTTS excepting Stafford of course. Christopher isn’t his uncle or his dad. He’s not going to be banging on anyone, making the perfectly timed bump and run for the pass or any other short track move that at times are necessary. He’ll do well but optimal maybe not so much.
    It’s also perplexing to see TBR biting off so much more then last year. Sure they’ve got the working relationship with PSR but really? Going for the SMART, NWMT and now MMTTS championships is quite the full dance card. No doubt they’ll be breaking the ice and sizzling in April but they have to take a pass on most of the Thompson, Stafford and JDV opens don’t they just to survive?
    Any predictions regarding TBR for 2023? They blew out to an epic start last year with Blewett wrenching the New Smyrna week long title from Hirschman. After the first four SMART races in March only Hirschman was better then Heady in the 7ny. The first five NWMT races P3, P7, P1, P1, P1 with 3 different drivers. No wrecks, always in contention. Hirschman always get the lions share of attention and rightfully so but that run at the start of 2022 by the 7ny was one for the ages. No way they can repeat that or anything close can they?
    Cold enough for you RaceDayCt nation? Not for Moon Doggy I’ll bet. Our own sundowner following warm weather and no doubt looking forward to the imminent festivities in Florida starting next week. Froze my ass off last night so you suck.

  8. Its a little perplexing. So much investment, so much inventory, so many irons in the fire on multiple fronts for tbr.
    While i hope they all do well, I hope it doesn’t burn the tbr operation out this year. I like multiple top tier teams in the series. At the very least, will be interesting to see how this all shakes out for sure!

  9. Doug it will be interesting for sure being that he ran all Troyer last year and is now PSR. If the PSR cars were any good you would think he would have have run them more than 1 race at New Smyrna. Jimmy and Doug only ran the Troyer. Jimmy ran the PSR at Monadnock and let’s just say he wasn’t very impressed. He went home and didn’t race the car. We will see how it shakes out!!

  10. Facebook

    “Tommy Baldwin Racing
    May 31, 2022
    ·
    Gotta thank my boys at PSR !!! Ever since they put this front clip on in the middle of the night last year and then they took this thing and completely rebuilt it with new interior sheet metal , new body and all new PSR chassis components over the winter this car has been so consistent and responsive. PSR is quietly on thier 20th chassis build since we joined forces late last year. Make sure you give them a call for all your needs they can do anything !!!!”

    I don’t make this stuff up I only know what I read. This was the first major PSR mention by Baldwin that stuck in my head. If Tommy Baldwin is throwing accolades at PSR I tend to think he knows what he’s talking about. The 7ny made a major jump in performance last year. Baldwin is praising PSR. What am I missing?

    ·

  11. Facebook
    “PSR Products
    December 13, 2022
    ·
    We’re pumped to see what the Tommy Baldwin Racing guys do with this new PSR hot rod on the Tour in 2023!”

    “Tommy Baldwin Racing
    December 13, 2022
    ·
    👀 2023 race season prep already underway at TBR. New PSR Products Tour car getting ready for New Smyrna Speedway in February with Speedweeks.
    Who will be behind the wheel? 🤔”

  12. Doug,
    That was a Troyer clip installed on a Troyer car at PSR. The car that won all the races for them was that car. The PSR car ran Nee Smyrna only last year. I’m just saying the cars he will race this year will be PSR cars and not just a troyer car with a troyer clip welded on at PSR. Will be fun to watch! Tommy had to shout out to PSR because he is involved with them and they were wanting some props simply because Tommy was winning in a Troyer and NOT a PSR. Tommy thanked them for their labor and upper A frames basically because the car was a troyer.

  13. Sorry, I appreciate what you are saying but it makes no sense at all. In fact on a scale of one to ten I’d score that a two.
    I’m watching Preece steadily, expertly move up throught the field in the LA race and this guy is harshing my buzz.
    Third opinions please.

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