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NASCAR on Friday awarded David Wilson the Bill France Award of Excellence for his exceptional achievements in the sport with Toyota for over 35 years. After he received the trophy, an overwhelmed Wilson shared his thoughts with Bob Pockrass of Fox Sports.
Wilson is a renowned name associated with NASCAR, and predominantly with Toyota. He is the head of Toyota Racing Development but will retire from his post on December 16 this year. He has been with the Japanese automotive manufacturers for 35 long years, serving the customers, teams, and fans.
During his long career at TRD, Wilson performed in multiple capacities, such as Design Engineer and Track Support Engineer. He was promoted to Vice President of Operations and Engineering, Production, and Strategic planning. After numerous role changes, he became the head of TRD, where he led the team for 11 years.
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Recognizing his contribution to the sport, the governing body recently awarded him the Bill France Award of Excellence during the 2024 NASCAR Awards banquet at the Charlotte Convention Center. Sharing his thoughts on the recognition, a delightful Wilson said,
"What I believe, what's in my heart, is, again on my very best day. I am simply a reflection of wonderful team that supported me, has trusted me, empowered me to serve, and so yeah, I'm still soaking in you know." (0:01-0:27)
The Bill France Award of Excellence is not awarded every year. Wilson is the second successive winner in recent times after Goodyear CEO Rich Kramer won it last year. Before him, former Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson received the same award back in 2020.
David Wilson believes Toyota left NASCAR in a better place
On the eve of his retirement, David Wilson believed that he would be leaving Toyota in good hands, and the manufacturer had left NASCAR in a better place. Tyler Gibbs, general manager of TRD, will succeed Wilson as the President.
“I would like to believe that TRD is better than what it was when I got here," Wilson said. "I would like to believe that our sport and Toyota’s position in our sport has left NASCAR in a better place."
"Coming back to when we entered 20 years ago, we didn’t have a relationship with the sanctioning body and we didn’t have a relationship with our competitors the way we do now, and so much has changed," he added.
Toyota delivered scintillating performances this season. One of their drivers — Tyler Reddick, claimed the regular season championship this season and qualified for the Championship 4. Furthermore, Toyota claimed nine victories this season, an impressive feat compared to their tally in the last few years.
