David Wilson received the Bill France Award for Excellence during the NASCAR Awards celebration Friday night in Charlotte.
Wilson is the outgoing president of Toyota Racing Development. He announced his retirement, set for Dec. 16, earlier this year. The award was presented by NASCAR chairman Jim France and moved Wilson to tears while seated in the crowd upon realizing he was the recipient.
“I always come from a place of humility and I was well and truly stunned,” Wilson said. “[It] rocked my world to be called up on stage by my dear friend Jim France and be recognized. I said what I believe and what’s in my heart — on my very best day I am simply a reflection of a wonderful team that’s supported me, trusted me, and empowered me to serve. I’m still soaking it in.”
Wilson admittedly he reluctantly came to the ceremony. Thursday night, a private celebration was held for him in Charlotte by friends and colleagues and he thought it was all the “heavy lifting” he would have to do for the weekend.
“We’re all competitive and when you have to watch others receive their accolades, it’s tough,” Wilson said. “But I’m still on the clock, I still have to represent and I still have to congratulate our champions. That’s part of what we do.
“I had no idea. I figured there’s a mention, maybe on the tail end of the [in remembrance]. But again, beyond humbled and incredibly grateful.”
The award is one of the most prestigious in the sport and is not given annually. It honors those who have significantly impacted the sport.
Wilson is the 29th recipient.
“Just hearing that out loud brings me back to this position of really being at a loss for words,” Wilson said of winning an award with the France name. “It was Bill France Jr., who in Century City, California, welcomed us into their sport many, many years ago and it was Jim France who I developed a personal connection and friendship and trust. I love Jim France — I told him that [Friday night] – because beyond everything on the track, he’s just been a good friend and he’s trusted our company. I’ve been able to help, I think, and our team has been able to help his team get better, and that, again, is what’s important.
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“When Jim started reading … [my wife] Kerri looked back at me and was like, ‘This is [you].’ I said, ‘No, there’s no… This is not for guys like me. I’m just floored. I’m truly humbled and feeling undeserved, to be candid. But I’m proud because in my mind this is not my award; this is TRD’s award, this is Toyota’s award and I have the absolute honor to accept it on their behalf.”
A member of the Toyota organization for 35 years, Wilson served as TRD president for the last 11 years. He has been at the helm for Cup Series driver championships with Kyle Busch (2015 and 2019) and Martin Truex Jr. (2017), three manufacturer championships, as well as three Daytona 500 victories with Denny Hamlin.
He also oversaw wild success in the two other national series. Toyota claimed seven manufacturer championships in the Craftsman Truck Series along with four driver championships. In the Xfinity Series, the company earned one manufacturer championship and three driver championships.
Toyota entered NASCAR Cup Series racing in 2007. It was a significant moment in the sport as Toyota became the first foreign manufacturer since the 1950s to compete at the Cup Series level.
Wilson mentioned the milestone during his remarks on stage, acknowledging the company was not always accepted. But as his tenure ends, he says he’s proud of the changes in the sport for all involved.
“In looking back at what our team has accomplished, and I’ve been a small part of — that truly is something that I hold dear because most of you were here 20 plus years ago and you saw the polarizing reception Toyota received back in those days,” Wilson said. “We knew what we were up against. We had an immense amount of respect for the sport and we set about a strategy to earn our way, and to do it the right way and to make sure that we respected the sport and the opportunities that we had to compete.
“To look back on where we’ve come since then, and the acceptance that is largely out there for us, and the belief that I have that our sport is better [with] us being a part of it, that is special to me and I will always take a tremendous amount of pride in that.”
