PLANO, Texas — David Wilson will retire as Toyota Racing Development’s president and group vice president in December after leading the U.S. motorsports arm for the past 11 of 35 years with the Japanese automaker.
General manager Tyler Gibbs, who has held multiple roles with the organization since joining in 1996, will succeed Wilson as TRD’s president upon his departure Dec. 16.
Wilson was appointed to the position in January 2014 and has played a significant role in TRD race wins and championships across numerous series, including entries into NASCAR, CART and IndyCar. TRD’s success includes wins in marquee races such as the Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500 and the Rolex 24 at Daytona.
Wilson said Wednesday in a release from Toyota Motor North America that he was honored to be part of the team. He added, “I’ve completed my lap and I’m proud to hand the keys over to my friend and ‘brother in arms’, Tyler Gibbs,” and is confident that Gibbs will continue to grow and strengthen TRD’s legacy on and off the track.
Gibbs will oversee North American operations and activities including engine/chassis engineering, manufacturing and administration in California and North Carolina. Gibbs said he has “big shoes to fill” and praised Wilson for providing opportunities to learn and grow working for him.