While the NASCAR star drivers and the team are the ones that take all the plaudits for winning the race every weekend, this isn’t the same for people working behind the scenes. Apart from the sanctioning body, manufacturers and people working for them are the ones who keep the ball rolling. David Wilson from Toyota Racing Development is one of the key individuals that has fueled the rise of his company.

His contribution has helped bring about change not only in NASCAR but in the motorsports series across the country. Although he is too humble to accept the fact that under his leadership, Toyota’s footprint in American racing has grown tremendously. But this was his last year serving as the captain of the ship at TRD. After serving 35 years in almost every position, he is going to retire from his job.

And on the night when champions were celebrated, Wilson was recognized for his unwavering efforts in leading TRD with the Bill France Award of Excellence.

David Wilson signs off on a high

NASCAR has always been a sport where people from outside have come in and made a big impact. To an extent, NASCAR helped the sport grow; after all, NASCAR was known as a sport where the stock cars used to turn left in circles. Over the years, the likes of Rick Hendrick, Joe Gibbs, and even Roger Penske have helped NASCAR elevate to the next level. But David Wilson just might be the silent operator who changed the sport for good with his partnership at Toyota.

Wilson took over the reins from Lee White in mid-2013 and became the boss at TRD. Under White, Toyota entered NASCAR in 2004 and then made the big entry to the Cup Series in 2007. However, it was under Wilson’s leadership that TRD started to spread its wings and became a power manufacturer. In his tenure, TRD has 628 race wins spread across the three series, alongside nine driver’s titles in Truck, four in Xfinity, and three in Cup Series.

Now NASCAR’s Bill France Award isn’t presented annually, but given the contribution Wilson has made to the sport, he deserved the spotlight. “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… 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 said after being honored with the Bill France Award of Excellence.

There was a possibility that Wilson would’ve missed the ceremony, as he wasn’t expecting something special to happen. “I had a really special celebration last night; friends did something for me that blew me away and celebrating my career and I thought that was the heavy lifting I had to do over the weekend… So I had no idea; I figured maybe there’s a mention… but again, I’m just beyond humbled and incredibly grateful,” he added.

It’s fair to say Toyota’s racing program has grown leaps and bounds under David Wilson’s leadership and will continue to do so.

Wilson believes Toyota is in a better place than ever before in NASCAR

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There’s no denying that Toyota’s participation has dramatically changed the NASCAR landscape. Their entry has forced the rival camps Chevrolet and Ford to level up. And that, in general, is a good sign for NASCAR, as fans get to see a healthy rivalry among the manufacturers.

For a long time, the fans were used to seeing the Ford, GM, and Chrysler products on and off the racetrack. Initially, there was a little pushback even from the rival camps, who looked at the Japanese automakers as outsiders trying to stake a claim in their sport. Jack Roush, a staunch Ford supporter, even labeled Toyota as “the dark side,” but it’s fair to say they’re part of the NASCAR family now. Initially, they had only one team, Joe Gibbs Racing, supporting them at the Cup level; now they’ve expanded to three teams with 23XI Racing and Legacy Motor Club.

Although Toyota will have a huge hole to fill with Wilson’s departure, he believes TRD is positioned better than ever before in NASCAR. And that Toyota will continue to be competitive in his absence. “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.” Wilson added.

Tyler Gibbs, TRD’s current general manager, will succeed Wilson, and it will be interesting to see how this change will impact Toyota’s racing program.