NASCAR has long relied on manufacturer support to keep teams competitive. However, concerns about how the OEMs favour the powerhouses of the sport have surfaced. And Tommy Baldwin has now weighed in about the same. 

This has been a recurring issue in the sport. Each of these manufacturers entered the sport with the goal of "Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday," which basically means that if a manufacturer wins a race on Sunday, they'll probably sell a vehicle or two on Monday. Hence, it makes sense that these OEMs support the powerhouses of the sport. However, these issues have been getting out of hand.

"It's a difficult time for the teams that don't have just enough money to go racing," he said on the July 7 episode of the Door Bumper Clear podcast. "It really is because these bigger teams are getting stronger. They're getting better. It’s getting to the point that the money is overtaking our sport with all the tools that are being used."

Baldwin's take on the Door Bumper Clear podcast came after the race on Sunday, July 5, at Chicagoland, where the big three were occupying the top 13 spots.

The veteran crew chief explained that the unequally distributed resources are what are causing the bigger teams like Joe Gibbs Racing and Rick Hendrick Motorsports to dominate the season. 

Baldwin’s remarks were reflected in the top three during the Chicagoland race. The first, second, and third places were occupied by Toyota-backed Joe Gibbs Racing, with Chase Briscoe, Christopher Bell and Denny Hamlin all occupying the top spots. 

Meanwhile, the Chevrolet-backed Hendrick Motorsports drivers William Byron and Alex Bowman finished the race in fourth and fifth, respectively. 

These comments by the NASCAR veteran crew chief have also brought the conversation about the growing gap between the big and the small teams back into the spotlight. Baldwin is not the only one to point out the advantages teams have by being backed up by big teams. 

Brad Keselowski shares why he thinks Toyota continues to lead in NASCAR’s new era

The Ford-backed RFK driver spoke about why he thinks Toyota has an edge as compared to the other OEM’s in the NASCAR Cup Series this season. 

During the pre-race interview at Chicagoland, he pointed out that Next Gen has created a stalemate. To get rid of this stalemate, Toyota has initiated a lot of collaboration among the top teams, such as JGR, 23XI, and others. 

"Toyota is making them pay for that with results on the racetrack. They deserve credit for that. It's a really great behind-the-scenes move that they've taken full advantage of," he said. (via Cup Scene on YouTube)

The Ford driver added that this collaborative approach is something that the other OEM’s like Ford and Chevrolet are yet to achieve. 

With 19 races down, Toyota has 11 wins in the 2026 campaign. While Ford has bagged only 1 win with Ryan Blaney early into the season. 

What do you think of OEMs' impact on teams? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest.

Written by

Chionia Libania Colaco

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar