Cumberland Plateau standout dies at 65
David Bilbrey of Crossville, Tenn., one of the top Dirt Late Model racers on the Cumberland Plateau who was a member of two racing Hall of Fames, died Friday. The longtime driver of the No. 44 sponsored by the family-owned A&B Body Shop was 65.
The son of parents who raced, Bilbrey competed at dirt tracks from the early 1980s for more than 20 seasons, racking up more than 150 feature victories and multiple track championships at four Tennessee tracks, including his hometown track. He also captured titles at Atomic Speedway near Knoxville, Wartburg Speedway and Baxter's Tennessee Motor Speedway. Major victories included the Firecracker 100 and Pepsi 100 at Atomic and the Plateau 100 at Crossville with $6,000 his biggest single-night payoff.
Bilbrey was among the first class of the Upper Cumberland Dirt Racing Hall of Fame in 2008 and in 2023 joined Smoky Mountain Speedway Hall of Fame in Maryville, Tenn.
Survivors include his wife Cindy Bilbrey and two sons, David II and Matthew. The funeral is 11 a.m. Wednesday, April 17, at Hood Funeral Home in Crossville followed by burial at Green Acres Memory Gardens. Visit hoodfuneralhome.com for a complete obituary.
