Reigning NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion car owner Tommy Baldwin Jr. announced on Sunday afternoon on Facebook that he has cancer and his race team, Tommy Baldwin Racing, will be on hiatus.

Baldwin, 56, is the car owner for six-time NWMT champion Doug Coby on the NASCAR side, and defending SMART Modified Tour champion Caleb Heady. Coby currently is fourth in NWMT points standings, while Heady is currently fifth in SMART points.

Baldwin, who won the 2002 Daytona 500 as crew chief for Ward Burton, wrote on Facebook, “Today, I post with news that no one ever wants to hear. I have cancer. It’s treatable, but this past week of racing will be the last for a while for the Tommy Baldwin Racing team. Going to take a break and begin treatment to beat it into the ground.”

The Tommy Baldwin Racing team won the 2022 owner’s championship for the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, winning races with Coby, Jimmy Blewett, and Mike Christopher Jr. along the way. So far this year Coby has brought the team to victory lane once, with a dominating performance at Monadnock Speedway back in May.

Watch: Baldwin Family Legacy Grows With New Generation In Modified Victory Lane

Heady also has one victory in SMART competition this season. Heady brought the team to victory lane at Hickory Motor Speedway in April.

Coby wrote on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, “This is a reminder to all of us that racing is much bigger than competition on the track. It’s about family and the friendships we create and our community. My thoughts are with TB and his family as he begins treatment, and I know the racing community will rally around him with nothing but love and encouragement. You got this TB and we got you!”

https://t.co/a6QfUlBhKQ pic.twitter.com/a09vqxWt1V

— Doug Coby (@doug_coby) August 20, 2023

In regards to the rest of the racing season for Coby, who is currently fourth in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour points standings, Coby said: “As far as my future competitng in the remaining seven events of the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour season, I have no comment at this time. Ask the important questions, not the ones that are irrelevant.”

Baldwin is known across the NASCAR community, whether at the short tracks with Modifieds, or at the NASCAR Cup level where he was a crew chief and a car owner, as one of the toughest men in racing. In that spirit, Baldwin made it clear in his announcement post that he is ready to fight as hard as he needs to.

“I will beat this challenge like every other,” wrote Baldwin. “The grind begins now!”