Future uncertain for Bill Davis Racing
AVONDALE, Ariz. – Bill Davis said it would be difficult to go to Daytona next February without a sponsor and a recent possible merger or acquisition of his team “we thought we were [close to finishing] but I guess not.”
Davis has owned Bill Davis Racing with his wife, Gail, since 1983. He said he is “just trying to survive” the current financial situation.
Is he optimistic about fielding a Cup team next year?
“I’m an optimistic person, but I don’t know what’s going to happen,” Davis said. “It’s pretty tough times out here. There’s not a lot of sponsors. We’ve got some good conversations going on with people.
“I think if the economy sees some positive signs – people have interest, they’re just not spending money right now.”
Since the start of the year, Davis has said that his organization has been entertaining offers from prospective buyers.
“We haven’t been able to make anything work,” Davis said. “We’ve had a couple of near-misses, but it didn’t work out. So we don’t know. We’ll see what happens and where we end up.”
Davis said there is no deadline for him to make a decision about next year. Sponsor Caterpillar is leaving for Richard Childress Racing and BDR had to drop its second team earlier this season because of a lack of sponsorship.
Bad Boy Mowers, the sponsor on the No. 22 Toyota this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway, is a subsidiary of Caterpillar.
“We’re always looking for sponsors,” Davis said. “I don’t know what we’ll be doing. … I don’t know if we’d go to Daytona without a sponsor. To keep a team together all winter and spend all the money to get ready to go racing, I don’t imagine you’ll see a lot of people doing that [without sponsorship].”
As far as the Truck series next year, Davis said he plans to have four trucks.
“Obviously we’re in pretty good shape in the Truck series,” Davis said.
