Bill Davis Racing will not run the #27 Toyota at this weekend's Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway, having finally decided to stop battling against a lack of backing for the team.
Veteran crew chief Richard "Slugger" Labbe revealed the news to Sirius Radio's
Morning Drive programme, confirming that the team had been shut down due to its ongoing lack of sponsorship.
The #27 has led something of a charmed life since being revealed as the vehicle through which former
Formula One world champion Jacques Villeneuve would complete his rapid ascension to NASCAR's Cup Series, and has not been able to attract a sponsor to fund the programme despite Villeneuve's obvious profile.
Having started life as the #36 entry that proved unsuccessful in Jeremy Mayfield's hands last year, Villeneuve appeared to be on course to make the field for February's
Daytona 500 after qualifying well, but crashed out in his Gatorade Duel and failed to make the field in favour of drivers holding owners' points passes. Luck then conspired against the team in round two, where a rained-out qualifying session confined Mike Skinner to the sidelines, the veteran having replaced Villeneuve behind the wheel in a job share with fellow Craftsman Truck driver Johnny Benson.
Things appeared to be taking a turn for the better when Skinner used a favourable qualifying slot to rank fifth pre-race in Las Vegas, but things resorted to type after a 30th place finish, and Benson then failed to make the cut at Atlanta last weekend.
The team currently occupies 47th in the point standings, with little hope of making the field unless its driver can qualify on time, prompting team boss Davis to call time on the programme until a sponsor could be found.
![Jacques Villeneuve, Bill Davis Racing Toyota. [Pic Credit image.net]](http://pix.crash.net/thumbs/386115.jpg)
