David Starr Bio
David Leon Starr (born October 11, 1967) is an American professional stock car racing driver from Houston, Texas. He is best known for his long career in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series, where he is a four-time race winner, and for his continued part-time presence in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series. Over more than two decades of national-level competition, Starr has become a respected journeyman driver known for perseverance, consistency, and a willingness to keep racing at a high level.
Early Life and Background
David Leon Starr was born on October 11, 1967, in Houston, Texas. He grew up around short tracks in the region and developed an early fascination with stock car racing. At the age of fourteen, Starr joined a neighbor’s pit crew, getting his first taste of race day operations from behind the wall.
When he turned sixteen, Starr began driving street stock cars and won the championship at Big H Motor Speedway in his very first season. Over the following seven years, he added twenty late model race victories to his resume, building a strong regional reputation before chasing a national NASCAR opportunity.
Beyond racing, Starr has mentioned on his podcast that he is Catholic, and faith has remained part of his public life away from the track.
Path to NASCAR
Starr’s progression toward NASCAR was steady and self-built. In 1993, he enrolled at the Team Texas driving school, where he eventually became a race instructor. During this period, he also worked for veteran driver Donnie Allison as a crew member on Allison’s Busch Series team, gaining valuable insight into the upper levels of stock car racing.
In 1996, Starr joined the Texas International Driving Association and became the first rookie in that series to win a race. That accomplishment caught the attention of NASCAR team owners, and in 1998 he made his Truck Series debut driving the No. 9 Chevrolet Silverado for Reher-Morrison Racing. The following season he moved into a full-time ride with Tagsby Racing, finishing twenty-second in the standings and laying the foundation for a long national career.
David Starr Career
Early Career (1998–2001)
Starr debuted in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series in 1998 with Reher-Morrison Racing, posting a best finish of eighteenth at his home track, Texas Motor Speedway. The next year, he ran the full schedule primarily with Tagsby Racing, also making starts for Team 23 Racing, Conely Racing, Morgan-Dollar Motorsports, and McGlynn Racing, and ended the year twenty-second in points.
When Tagsby closed its doors, Starr kept racing part-time for Conely, Ware Racing Enterprises, and TKO Motorsports. He also made his Busch Series debut at Talladega Superspeedway for Day Enterprise Racing and later ran four races for Team Menard, never finishing lower than seventh. Those seasons sharpened his skills and prepared him for a breakthrough opportunity.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Breakthrough (2002–2009)
Starr earned his second full-time ride in 2002, joining the No. 75 Spears Motorsports team. He won his first Truck Series race that season at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and was named the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Most Popular Driver after finishing fifth in the standings. The following year, he battled injuries but still produced thirteen top-ten finishes and ended tenth in points.
In 2004, Starr won two races and climbed to sixth in the final standings. After a winless 2005, he joined Red Horse Racing in the No. 11 Ford and captured his most recent Truck Series victory at Martinsville Speedway in 2006, finishing a career-best fourth in points. He later ran for Circle Bar Racing in 2007, then rejoined Red Horse in 2008 with eight top-ten finishes, and finished his long Truck Series tenure with HT Motorsports in 2009, recording fourteen top-ten results.
NASCAR Xfinity Series Era (2010–Present)
Following the closure of HT Motorsports, Starr moved to Randy Moss Motorsports in 2010 before joining SS-Green Light Racing midseason, where he posted a ninth-place points finish. He returned to SS-Green Light in 2011 and finished thirteenth in points, while also making a handful of Sprint Cup Series starts for Leavine Family Racing in the No. 95.
Over the next decade, Starr drove for Arrington Racing, TriStar Motorsports, RSS Racing, B. J. McLeod Motorsports, Jimmy Means Racing, JD Motorsports, MBM Motorsports, SS-Green Light Racing, and Our Motorsports. He earned his first career Xfinity Series top-five at Daytona International Speedway in 2017 and has continued to race part-time, including recent starts with Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen driving the Nos. 53 and 35 Chevrolet Camaro SS.
NASCAR Cup Series Starts
Starr has also made a number of NASCAR Cup Series appearances. He attempted his Winston Cup debut at Texas Motor Speedway but failed to qualify. He later ran Sprint Cup races for Leavine Family Racing, MBM Motorsports, Rick Ware Racing, and Obaika Racing. He returned to the Cup Series in 2024 at Martinsville Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway, driving the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse, and continues to compete part-time in Cup for Garage 66.
Notable Races and Milestones
Starr’s signature moments include his first Truck Series win at Las Vegas in 2002, his Martinsville victory in 2006, and his breakthrough Xfinity Series top-five at Daytona in 2017. His longtime home track of Texas Motor Speedway has produced several of his strongest career runs, and his durability across three national NASCAR series has become a defining feature of his career.
David Starr Career Wins
David Starr is a four-time winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. His victories came during a steady climb through the national ranks in the early-to-mid 2000s, highlighted by his first win at Las Vegas in 2002 and his most recent at Martinsville in 2006.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Highlights
Starr collected all four of his career Truck Series wins with Spears Motorsports and Red Horse Racing between 2002 and 2006. His best season came in 2006, when his Martinsville victory helped him to a career-best fourth-place finish in the final standings.
Other Wins and Performances
Before reaching NASCAR, Starr won twenty late model races across Texas short tracks and became the first rookie to win a race in the Texas International Driving Association in 1996. He also won the street stock championship at Big H Motor Speedway in his first year of racing at age sixteen.
David Starr Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Starr was raised in Houston, Texas, where his early exposure to racing came from a neighbor whose pit crew he joined at fourteen. That neighborhood connection sparked a passion that carried him from local Texas tracks to national NASCAR competition.
Personal Life
David Starr is married to his wife, Kim, and the couple has two sons, David Jr., known as DJ, and Vance. Outside of racing, Starr launched the podcast Let’s Go Racing with David Starr in December 2020, where he is joined by news anchor Tyler Jones and TheRacingExperts.com founder Dominic Aragon.
2025 Season Performance
David Starr continues to balance part-time schedules in both the NASCAR Xfinity Series and the NASCAR Cup Series heading into the 2025 season. In the Xfinity Series, he has been listed with Joey Gase Motorsports with Scott Osteen, driving the Nos. 53 and 35 Chevrolet Camaro SS. In the Cup Series, he is competing part-time in the No. 66 Ford Mustang Dark Horse for Garage 66, building on his 2024 starts at Martinsville Speedway and Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Starr’s 2025 program reflects his veteran role as an experienced plate and intermediate-track racer who can deliver solid finishes for smaller teams. His combination of NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series pedigree and decades of stock car experience makes him a valuable addition to any part-time lineup, particularly at superspeedways and short tracks where veteran race craft is at a premium.
With sponsorship relationships stretching back to his Spears Motorsports days, Starr remains a respected figure in the garage area. His 2025 schedule is expected to focus on select Xfinity and Cup races, with the goal of putting together consistent finishes and continuing his long run of national-level NASCAR competition.
