John Blankenship to run in four Nationwide races for Tommy Baldwin: John Blankenship and Tommy Baldwin Racing announce a partnership that will move the 2009 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series Rookie of the Year into the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Blankenship is slated to make his debut in a TBR Chevy sponsored by Coal America’s Energy at Iowa Speedway on August 4, 2012. In addition to Iowa, Blankenship will run with TBR in the final three races of the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series season, which will take place at Texas Motor Speedway on November 3, Phoenix International Raceway on November 10 and the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 17. Coal America’s Energy will be Blankenship’s sponsor in all four races. During the past month, Blankenship has been on a roll with a win at the Wythe Raceway in Wytheville, Va., and three second-place finishes at The Dream 100 held at Eldora Speedway, Show-Me 100 at Lucas Oil Speedway and Budweiser 50 at Muskingum County Speedway. Blankenship is currently sixth in the very tight points battle in the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and will continue to run the entire schedule of Lucas Oil Series races in 2012. Veteran crew chief Brad Parrot will act as Blankenship’s crew chief for all four races.(Tommy Baldwin Racing)(7-10-2012)
