Bill Davis, the longtime team owner of the Bill Davis Racing team in the NASCAR Cup Series, has passed away at the age of 74.

From 1988 to 2008, Davis fielded entries in the NASCAR National Series ranks, and along the way, the team owner picked up five victories in the NASCAR Cup Series, 11 wins in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, and 24 wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he also won a championship in 2008 with Johnny Benson Jr. behind the wheel of his truck.

Davis, a native of Arkansas, also provided a Ford Thunderbird for Jeff Gordon in the NASCAR Xfinity Series (then NASCAR Busch Grand National Series) ranks, where Gordon collected three wins in 1992. Driving for Davis launched Gordon’s NASCAR career off the ground, and the driver would eventually move to Hendrick Motorsports at the end of the 1992 season, where he would amass 93 NASCAR Cup Series wins and four championships in a NASCAR Hall of Fame career.

Davis also launched the NASCAR Cup Series career of Bobby Labonte, another NASCAR Cup Series champion driver and NASCAR Hall of Famer. Labonte drove Davis’ No. 22 entry in the NASCAR Cup Series through the opening two seasons of his NASCAR Cup Series career before moving to Joe Gibbs Racing in 1995.

Ward Burton scored all five of the wins for Bill Davis Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series, including a win in the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway in 2001 and the Daytona 500 in 2002.

Prior to the start of Sunday’s Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway, NASCAR issued a statement on the passing of the legendary team owner.

“A championship-winning leader and owner, Bill Savis made a lasting mark on our sport through his passion and unwavering belief in the people around him,” NASCAR’s statement read. “His teams celebrated some of NASCAR’s most prestigious victories, including the Daytona 500 and the Southern 500.

“Bill was more than a competitor — he was a friend to all in the garage, respected for his kindness, generosity, and genuine love for racing.

“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to his wife and business partner Gail, the Davis family, and Bill’s many friends during this diffcult time.”

NASCAR Statement on the Passing of Bill Davis:

A championship-winning leader and owner, Bill Davis made a lasting mark on our sport through his passion and unwavering belief in the people around him. His teams celebrated some of NASCAR’s most prestigious victories, including the…

— NASCAR Communications (@NASCAR_Comms) September 7, 2025

After selling off his NASCAR racing team and assets following the 2008 season, Davis and his wife returned home to Batesville, Arkansas, where they would manage their trucking company, Bill Davis Trucking Inc., which was founded in 1975.

Davis was named to the Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

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