Bill Davis Racing (BDR) announced yesterday that it will tap into its pool of veteran Cup Series drivers to pilot the No. 27 Toyota Camry during the next several NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races. Truck Series standouts Mike Skinner and Johnny Benson are both expected to step behind the wheel of BDR’s No. 27 entry.
The decision will leave Former Formula One Champion Jacques Villeneuve who raced for Peugeot at Le Mans in 2007 out of a NASCAR ride for now.
Bill Davis Racing said the team will continue to support Jacques Villeneuve in his pursuit of a successful career in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
“We know that Jacques has the talent and the desire to be in NASCAR, and are diligently working on a long term relationship with him," commented team owner Bill Davis.
The decision followed weeks of rumors that indicated that Villeneuve only had enough sponsorship for five races. He then missed qualifying for this year's Daytona 500 - the most important race of the year for sponsors and drivers alike.
2007 NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series runner up Mike Skinner will drive the No. 27 Toyota Camry next weekend at California Speedway in Fontana, California.