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Tommy Baldwin Racing ceases full-time operation; sells charter

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 - Practice

FORT WORTH, TX - NOVEMBER 05: Regan Smith, driver of the #7 Nikko RC/Toy State Chevrolet, drives through the garage area during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series AAA Texas 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on November 5, 2016 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images)

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Tommy Baldwin Racing will cease to run full-time after Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway, car owner Tommy Baldwin announced in a Facebook post.

Baldwin sold his team’s charter to Leavine Family Racing.

“We felt that it’s time for a new chapter in our lives and we have sold our charter to a great group of people who will continue to guide our vision,’' Baldwin wrote in the post.

“For the past eight years we’ve shown up at every race, worked hard to compete at the top level and bring value to our sponsors. I feel confident that we are moving on having accomplished that. There have been many teams like ours that have come and gone. I’m proud that we have been able to sustain ourselves from the very beginning.

“So what’s next?

“Well, we’re not 100 percent sure. We are going to work hard to get the best possible results in Miami, take a little family time and then figure out the rest. So, stay tuned – announcements will be forthcoming.’'

Regan Smith joined the team shortly before the season. He was hired after the team let Alex Bowman go.

Smith has two top-10 finishes this season. His best finish was third in the rain-shortened race at Pocono. He also finished eighth in the Daytona 500.

Leavine Family Racing would not disclose what it paid for the charter.

Leavine Family Racing was in search of a charter because its partnership with Circle Sport Racing and Joe Falk was ending after this season. Falk brought a charter with him to that union but said that NASCAR viewed the action as a lease. Owners can lease their charter only once in five years.

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