A long-standing NASCAR feud between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and former team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. found an unexpected end at Martin Truex Jr.’s charity auction, where a heated bidding battle for a paddleboard took center stage. The Ricky Stenhouse Jr. NASCAR feud paddleboard auction turned personal as both adversaries refused to back down, culminating in a staggering $15,000 final bid for an item valued at just $1,000.
Rivalry Sparks at Martinsville Speedway Over On-Track Incident
The conflict between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Tommy Baldwin Jr. began years ago with a crash at Martinsville Speedway. Stenhouse, competing for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing, wrecked a car owned by Baldwin and driven by Regan Smith. The aftermath was immediate and heated; Baldwin’s anger ignited over the incident and he did not hesitate to demand retaliation from his crew.
“You Hocevar-ed us. … You were aggravated cuz we were still on the lead lap and you were 29th, we were 28. You went into three. You never f***ing checked up,”
—Tommy Baldwin Jr., Team Owner
Baldwin’s response was severe, instructing his driver to answer back directly on the racetrack.
“I told Regan over the radio, ‘You will never drive my car again unless that guy is destroyed at the end of the race, right?’ So, we wrecked him [Stenhouse],”
—Tommy Baldwin Jr., Team Owner
The hostilities spilled onto pit road, as tempers flared in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
“His shit was pulling on pit road full of smoke and he was aggravated. I was like, ‘f*** you,’”
—Tommy Baldwin Jr., Team Owner
As the week progressed, the rivalry escalated off the track. Noted team owner Jack Roush stepped in, hoping to prevent further damage and confrontations.
“It got bad during the week. Jack [Roush] actually called me up. He goes, ‘Uh, you know what’s going on? We got this, you know, this and that,’”
—Tommy Baldwin Jr., Team Owner
Baldwin’s willingness to intensify the feud was clear in his conversation with Roush, making it evident that he was ready to go to extremes in pursuit of retribution.
“I said [to Roush], ‘Let me tell you something. I have five miles out engines, five junk cars. I will bring every car to the next race and wreck him in practice, qualifying, and the race.’ I said, ‘So, are we good? Are you going to tell him [Stenhouse] to just calm down?’ And he’s like, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘Okay,’”
—Tommy Baldwin Jr., Team Owner
Despite this agreement, tensions simmered well after the Martinsville incident, with both men carrying unresolved grievances for years until fate brought them together again at a charity event hosted by Martin Truex Jr.
Charity Auction Turns Into Showdown With Expensive Outcome
Years after their on-track clash, the rivals clashed again—this time not behind the wheel, but at a charity paddleboard auction. At Martin Truex Jr.’s gathering, what should have been a simple bid turned into a symbolic rematch between two determined competitors. Both Stenhouse and Baldwin vied for the same paddleboards, neither willing to concede.
“Tommy’s on one side of the room, I’m on the other,”
—Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Driver
“We’re up to like $15,000 on these boards!”
—Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Driver
“They’re worth about $1,000, but we’re mad at each other.”
—Tommy Baldwin Jr., Team Owner
The bidding war amused event attendees, including Freddie Kraft, who watched as old grievances played out in this unusual setting. Ultimately, Stenhouse won the auction, but he expressed surprise at how things escalated over an old feud.
“I still don’t even remember what happened at Martinsville.”
—Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Driver
After the event, the paddleboards inadvertently became a peace token. Baldwin eventually approached Stenhouse at the event to address their rivalry directly.
“Tommy came over and asked, ‘Are we good?’ I said ‘no,’”
—Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Driver
Despite the lingering animosity, the event shifted the dynamic between the two. Stenhouse admitted he keeps the paddleboards despite his wife’s objections.
“My wife’s like, ‘We don’t need these.’ I’m like, ‘We’re keeping them.’”
—Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Driver
The truce may not have been warm, but both parties left the auction with their pride—and for Stenhouse, two costly paddleboards. Baldwin remained unfazed by the outcome, illustrating that deep-seated rivalries sometimes end not with apologies, but with gestures that are part shock, part healing for NASCAR fans and the participants themselves.
