The long-standing NASCAR feud between Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and former team owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. came to an unusual conclusion at Martin Truex Jr.’s charity auction recently, where they escalated a paddleboard bidding war to $15,000. This bizarre confrontation marked the end of years of tension that began with a crash at Martinsville Speedway.
The dispute originated years ago when Stenhouse, racing for Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing (RFK), collided with a car driven by Regan Smith, who was under Baldwin’s ownership. The incident immediately ignited Baldwin’s anger, prompting him to order retaliation.
Details of the Martinsville Incident That Fueled the Feud
The conflict traces back to an event at Martinsville Speedway, where Stenhouse’s actions on the track angered Baldwin significantly. After Stenhouse wrecked the car driven by Smith, Baldwin demanded aggressive retribution.
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,
Baldwin blasted Stenhouse on the Door Bumper Clear podcast.
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],
Baldwin admitted.
His shit was pulling on pit road full of smoke and he was aggravated. I was like, ‘f*** you,’
Baldwin recalled.
The situation worsened off the track when Baldwin’s angry threats caught the attention of Jack Roush, team owner of RFK, who intervened to try to cool tensions before the next event.
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,’
Baldwin recounted.
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,’
Baldwin said, describing the serious nature of their showdown.
Charity Auction Paddleboard Bidding Reignites Past Hostilities
Years after the original confrontation, both Stenhouse and Baldwin found themselves competing aggressively at Martin Truex Jr.’s charity auction, this time over paddleboards originally valued at approximately $1,000. Their rivalry propelled the prices to a shocking $15,000.
Tommy’s on one side of the room, I’m on the other,
Stenhouse recalled the tense moments.
We’re up to like $15,000 on these boards!
Baldwin agreed with the excessive nature of their bids, stating,
They’re worth about $1,000, but we’re mad at each other.
Freddie Kraft, host of the podcast where these stories were shared, laughed at the absurdity of the situation as both men relived their unusual showdown. Although Stenhouse ultimately won the bid, he confessed his lack of clarity regarding the original cause of the feud.
I still don’t even remember what happened at Martinsville.
Stenhouse admitted.
Paddleboards Serve as Unconventional Peace Offering
Despite the high stakes during the auction, the paddleboards unexpectedly became a symbol for settling the longstanding dispute, even if full reconciliation did not happen immediately. Stenhouse described how Baldwin approached him afterwards.
Tommy came over and asked, ‘Are we good?’ I said ‘no,’
Stenhouse revealed. Still, the purchase appeared to cool the tension somewhat, and Stenhouse now uses the paddleboards on his pond, despite objections from his wife.
My wife’s like, ‘We don’t need these.’ I’m like, ‘We’re keeping them.’
In his final comment on the matter, Baldwin bluntly stated, I didn’t care. For NASCAR enthusiasts, this episode is a reminder that some rivalries may never fully resolve and can end in surreal ways rather than clear closure.
