Triad Racing Technologies, a company co-owned by motorsports industry veterans Marty Gaunt and Michael Held, has purchased a majority interest in Bill Davis Racing, the company announced Monday.

TRT also announced its acquisition of North Carolina-based Triad Racing Development, a major supplier of engines, chassis and bodies to teams in NASCAR's Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series.

Bill Davis Racing has fielded Toyotas in the Cup competition since the manufacturer's series debut in 2007 but, while Dave Blaney has driven the #22 BDR Camry on a regular basis, the inability to find full-time sponsorship for the car has left him without a ride and the status of the team uncertain. Other BDR entries, including that of ex-F1 world champion Jacques Villeneuve, bit the dust earlier in the season.

Davis is also the owner of the #23 Toyota Tundra that carried Johnny Benson to the 2008 Truck Series championship, as well the #5 driven by Mike Skinner, but Benson will not return to BDR in 2009, opting to drive for Red Horse Racing as a team-mate to David Starr instead.

SceneDaily.com reported Monday that an announcement concerning the new-look team's Cup and Truck programmes will come in mid-January, according to the two principals.

“This is an exciting time for us,” said Gaunt, who recently served as vice-president at BDR, “With the changing economic landscape, we see this as an opportunity to service existing Toyota teams and build the business by providing cost effective engine support and chassis production to all racing teams regardless of manufacturer association.”

by Reid Spencer/Sporting News