HIGH POINT, North Carolina - Bill Davis Racing is pleased to announce the 2005 Craftsman Truck Series driver and crew chief line-up.
Mike Skinner will begin his first full season piloting the No. 5 Toyota Tundra in 2005. Skinner competed for Bill Davis Racing in the final nine races of the 2004 and is looking forward to competing for the 2005 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Championship with his new team. Skinner has had unparalleled success in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, compiling 16 wins, 41 top-five finishes, and 14 poles in 79 starts. Skinner was crowned the first Craftsman Truck Series Champion in 1995 and is looking to repeat that feat in 2005.
The 1995 Series Champion will have veteran crew chief Jeff Hensley calling the shots. The 2005 season will be Hensley’s second season as a crew chief for Bill Davis Racing. Hensley led the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing Tundra to a 22nd-place finish in the points last season. Hensley has been in the sport for over a decade. Before moving into his position at Bill Davis Racing, he served as a crew chief in the NASCAR Busch Series.
Bill Lester will return as the driver of the No. 22 Bill Davis Racing Tundra. Lester had seven top-10 starts during the 2004 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, as well as a top-10 finish at Gateway International Raceway. This will be Lester’s fifth season in the Craftsman Truck Series. Lester’s first career pole came in 2003 at the inaugural Craftsman Truck Series race at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
Taking the reigns as crew chief on the No. 22 truck is Doug Wolcott. Wolcott has been at Bill Davis Racing since the beginnings of the 2000 season and under his tutelage have been drivers Kenny Wallace, Dave Blaney, Ward Burton and Johnny Benson. Wolcott brings a wealth of experience both working on race trucks and behind the wheel.
Veteran driver Johnny Benson will return as the driver of the No. 23 Toyota Tundra in 2005. In 13 starts last season for Bill Davis Racing, Benson compiled five top-five finishes. Benson best finish of the season came at the Texas Motor Speedway in October where he finished 2nd to race winner Todd Bodine. Benson is looking forward to racing for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series championship in 2005.
Greg Ely will return as crew chief of the No.23 Bill Davis Racing Toyota Tundra. This will be Ely’s second year calling the shots for the No. 23 truck. He and Benson worked well together last season and are looking forward to success in 2005. Before moving to the Craftsman Truck Series, Ely was the shock specialist on the No. 23 car in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series.
“I am really excited about 2005,” said team owner Bill Davis. “With the unbelievable support we get from Toyota and the veteran experience that comes with all these drivers, I think 2005 will be a monumental year for Bill Davis Racing. All three drivers are capable of winning the championship, and with the crew chiefs and teams that we have in place, I see nothing but success. I am looking forward to going to Daytona in February and seeing what unfolds.”
