Bill Davis Racing
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| Owner(s) | Bill and Gail Davis |
|---|---|
| Base | High Point, North Carolina |
| Series | Sprint Cup Series, Nationwide Series, Craftsman Truck Series |
| Car numbers |
Sprint Cup: 00, 22, 23, 27, 36, 55, 93 Truck Series: 5, 22, 23, 24, 27, 36, 67 Busch Series: 02, 1, 20, 22, 23, 93 |
| Race drivers | Dave Blaney, Johnny Benson, Ward Burton, Scott Wimmer, Michael Waltrip, Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Mike Skinner, Jacques Villeneuve, Bill Lester, Jeremy Mayfield, Kenny Wallace |
| Sponsors | AT&T, Catepillar, Siemens, Maxwell House, MBNA, Amoco, Baby Ruth, 360 OTC |
| Manufacturer | Dodge, Ford, Pontiac, Toyota |
| Opened | 1989 |
| Closed | 2008 |
| Career | |
| Debut | 1993 Daytona 500 (Daytona) |
| Latest race | 2008 Ford 400 (Homestead) |
| Drivers' Championships | 1 (Craftsman Truck Series) |
| Race victories |
Sprint Cup: 5 Xfinity: 11 Craftsman Truck Series: 24 |
Bill Davis Racing was a racing team that participated in all three of NASCAR's top divisions until 2009.
The team had run Toyota-branded stock cars and trucks in the Camping World Truck Series (Toyota Tundra) since 2004 and Sprint Cup Series (Toyota Camry) since 2007. Dodge, Pontiac and Ford previously backed the team. The team was notable for running the No. 22 since its inception and its long relationship with Caterpillar, Inc.. BDR was competitive throughout the 1990s and early 2000s with Ward Burton before fading due to an increase in competition and a fallout with manufacturer Dodge. The team was sold to Triad Racing Technologies in late 2008, which shut down the team's racing entries and now produces engines and chassis for various Toyota NASCAR teams.
BDR was formed by then-truck rental owner Bill Davis, who himself was a former racer. Davis helped his friend and business partner Julian Martin develop his son Mark's ASA racing program. When Martin signed with J. D. Stacy, Davis took a break from racing, but returned to hire Martin to drive his Busch Series car for 15 races with sponsorship from Carolina Ford Dealers. In 1990, Davis moved the team to High Point, North Carolina, while his wife Gail stayed in Arkansas to oversee the trucking operation.
Upon arriving in Carolina, Davis was asked by the Ford Motor Company to hire up-and-coming Midwest driver Jeff Gordon, who won the NASCAR Busch Series Rookie of the Year in 1991 and won 11 pole positions the next year. Davis was hoping to move him and crew chief Ray Evernham to the Winston Cup Series, but they were lured away by Rick Hendrick. Davis still moved up to the Cup Series full-time in 1993 however, with driver Bobby Labonte, who finished 2nd to Gordon for Busch Series Rookie of the Year driving the No. 22 Maxwell House-sponsored Ford. The team switched to Pontiac the following season. After 1994, Labonte left to drive for Joe Gibbs Racing. MBNA replaced Maxwell House as the sponsor. Originally, Davis went with another rookie — a Busch Series standout named Randy LaJoie to drive the car. Midway through the year, LaJoie was fired from the team and replaced by a series of rotating drivers including Wally Dallenbach Jr., who finished 2nd at Watkins Glen. Finally, Ward Burton was hired to finish out the year. He scored the team's first win at North Carolina Motor Speedway in late 1995.
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