David Wilson, the current President of Toyota Racing Development who has been with TRD for 35 years, has announced that he will retire from the organization on December 16. Tyler Gibbs, who is currently serving as the General Manager of TRD will assume the role of President in late December.
Wilson, who has been the President of TRD for the last 11 years, believes Gibbs will continue to bolster TRD’s legacy on the track.
“It’s been such an honor to be a member of this Team and work alongside so many dedicated, talented and passionate men and women,” said Wilson in a press release from Toyota. “I’m humbled and grateful for the trust, support and friendship afforded me throughout my career by my colleagues at TMNA, the Toyota Motor Corporation, our industry and team partners and our athletes. But now, I’ve completed my lap and I’m proud to hand the keys over to my friend and ‘brother in arms’, Tyler Gibbs. I have every confidence that Tyler and his team will continue to grow and strengthen TRD’s world-class legacy on and off the track.”
In his three and a half decades with Toyota, Wilson served in a plethora of roles including design engineer, track support engineer, vice president of operations and engineering, vice president of production and strategic planning, vice president of sales operations and planning, and vice president of finance operations and planning.
With Wilson playing a pivotal role within TRD, the Toyota, Lexus, and Toyota Gazoo Racing North America divisions have enjoyed a lot of success within the world of racing. The brands have scored championships in CART, CORR, Grand-Am, IMSA, IndyCar, MTEG, NASCAR, NHRA, SCORE, and USAC over the last 35 years. Wilson also had a hand in wins in the 12 Hours of Sebring, Baja 500, Baja 1000, Rolex 24 at Daytona, Daytona 500, Indianapolis 500, Petit Le Mans, Chili Bowl Nationals, and the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb.
Wilson was also an instrumental figure in Toyota and TRD’s entry into CART/IndyCar and NASCAR.
The man who formerly worked for Johnson & Johnson and was an officer in the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division, where he received many accolades, has left his mark on TRD. And Gibbs, who will be Wilson’s successor, knows he has a tough task in following up Wilson’s tenure as TRD’s president.
“I have big shoes to fill,” said Gibbs. “Dave has been the cornerstone of TRD’s growth and culture over the last 35 years. During my 28 years working for Dave, he has given me countless opportunities to learn and grow, and this is another one of those opportunities. I’m excited and grateful for the privilege to work with so many incredible people at TRD and TMNA, along with our many partners, and together we’ll seek to continue TRD’s history of success.”
Gibbs, like Wilson, has done quite a bit within the walls of TRD. Wilson joined TRD in 1996.
