This 2008 season marks the 16th year Bill Davis Racing (BDR) has competed in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series and the team’s 21st year overall in NASCAR competition.
During his tenure as a NASCAR team owner, Bill Davis has worked with some of the sport’s top drivers and claimed numerous honors, including the 1991 NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year award with driver Jeff Gordon and the 2002 Daytona 500 victory with NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Ward Burton. One of the greatest honors for Davis came in August 2005 when Mike Skinner won the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway. The win was a first for the BDR truck racing program, but what made the victory even sweeter was the fact it placed Davis among only six owners to win in NASCAR’s top three touring series’. Davis also owns the single season record for poles in two of the three national series. The NASCAR Busch Series in 1992 with 11 poles and the NASCAR Truck Series in 2007 with 12 poles.
Davis never forgets one second how he has founded such success, as it has been each team member’s hard work and dedication that has helped him claim 33 victories, 59 poles, 157 top-five finishes and 311 top-10 finishes (as of 12/31/07) in his career as a NASCAR team owner.
For the third time since 2003, the Arkansas native is proud to field two teams full-time in the Nextel Cup Series. As last season came to a close, it was apparent Davis was on a mission to regroup his forces. With the return of Dave Blaney to pilot the No. 22 Caterpillar car and rookie sensation Jacques Villeneuve piloting the No. 27 Camry, Bill Davis Racing will once again be a competitor in the Nextel Cup Series.
In addition to his Cup racing efforts, Davis didn’t want to change a good thing he had going in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series competition. Therefore, for the fourth year in a row, it is a BDR truck trio vying for the top seat in the truck series. With Johnny Benson in the No. 23 Toyota Tundra, Mike Skinner in the No. 5 Toyota Tundra, and rookie Phillip McGilton in the No. 22 Toyota Tundra, Davis has proven he is a force to be reckoned with in Craftsman Truck Series competition.
The Arkansas native knows this year—more than ever—he needs everything his teams can give him. This season is about new beginnings for Davis’ Nextel Cup Series efforts and building on past successes in the Craftsman Truck Series.
Keep on trucking
In addition to racing, Davis and his wife, Gail, still run a successful trucking company, Bill Davis Trucking, Inc. of Batesville, Ark. It is his trucking company and his love for racing that helped land him where he is today.
Davis began racing for the first time with NASCAR driver Mark Martin. Mark’s father, Julian, and Davis were family friends, and Davis had worked for Julian’s trucking company for a short time in the 1970s. Julian showed Davis the ropes in the trucking business, and when they weren’t working, they were traveling together to help Mark with his racing career.
Davis eventually opened his own trucking company and continued to get hooked on the racing industry. In 1987, Davis built an American Speed Association (ASA) car for the younger Martin to compete in around the Midwest. Something that started as a hobby for Davis was about to take on a bigger role in his life, as racing soon became an additional profession for the Arkansas entrepreneur.
He wanted to continue racing, so Davis and Mark met with Carolina Ford Dealers, and soon the group came to an agreement to compete in 17 NASCAR Busch Series races in 1988. Martin had just signed to drive for Jack Roush in the NASCAR Cup Series, but he was granted approval by his new NASCAR Cup team owner to compete in the 17 races. Roush liked the idea of Martin getting the extra track time and offered to help Davis’ Busch Series endeavors by supplying engines for the first few races and providing technical support.
Davis, Martin and Carolina Ford Dealers enjoyed three successful years together. In 42 starts, the combination scored three wins, one pole, 11 top-five finishes and 19 top-10 finishes. At the end of their partnership, Mark encouraged Davis to fully commit to the racing business. Davis took the advice and decided to move to High Point, N.C., and continue racing, while Gail would remain in Arkansas to run the trucking business.
Before he moved to North Carolina, Ford executives called Davis’ attention to a young, up-and-coming open-wheel racer from the Midwest named Jeff Gordon. Davis hired Gordon to drive his No. 1 Busch Series car in 1991. Between 1991 and 1992, they tallied three wins, 12 poles, 15 top-five finishes and 25 top-10 finishes in a combined 61 starts.
Martin and Gordon were just the beginning for Davis, as more familiar names either got their start or experienced some of the greatest highlights of their professional racing careers while part of the BDR team, including Bobby Labonte, Geoff Bodine, Ray Evernham, Ward Burton, Tommy Baldwin and Kenny Wallace.
The rest is history, but to learn more about Bill Davis Racing and the BDR organization, log onto www.billdavisracing.com.