David Wilson, the head of Toyota’s motorsports wing, was named the recipient of the Bill France Award of Excellence.
The honor was presented Friday evening during the annual NASCAR Awards banquet at the Charlotte Convention Center, recognizing Wilson’s outstanding achievements in the sport during his 35 years with the automaker. He announced in August that he planned to retire Dec. 16 as group vice president and president of TRD, U.S.A. (Toyota Racing Development).
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The Bill France Award of Excellence is not presented annually. Retiring Goodyear CEO Rich Kramer received the recognition last year, marking the first time it was presented since 2020 when seven-time Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson was honored.
Wilson teared up and expressed his surprise at hearing his name announced by NASCAR CEO and chairman Jim France.
“I was well and truly stunned, rocked my world tonight to be called up on stage by my dear friend Jim France and to be recognized,” Wilson said. “As I said, and what I believe and what’s in my heart, is again on my very best day, I am simply a reflection of a wonderful team that’s supported me, that’s trusted me, that’s empowered me to serve and so, yeah, I’m still soaking it in.”
Wilson held many roles with Toyota’s racing division, including the last 11 years as its leader. He worked in a time of significant growth for the manufacturer, which made its NASCAR national-series debut in the Craftsman Truck Series in 2004 and joined the premier Cup Series three years later.
Wilson’s influence was felt in many other forms of motorsports — CART, CORR, Grand-Am, IMSA, Indy Racing League, MTEG, NHRA, SCORE and USAC. When asked in August about his lasting legacy in the sport, Wilson pointed to the company’s increased connection to racing.
“It’s pretty simple,” Wilson said. “I’d like to again believe that TRD is better than when it was when I got here, and I’d 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 certainly a relationship with our competitors the way we do now, and so much has changed. I’m proud of the way the competitive model that Toyota brought to our sport, we’ve changed the way the sport goes racing, and I love that. I love that, but there’s a lot that I’m really happy about and proud of.”
Succeeding Wilson in the role is Tyler Gibbs, TRD’s current general manager.