Davison set for Oran Park
14/8/2004 15:21 (Press Release) -
Team Dynamik will again "push" Will Davison into the V8 Supercar deep end, this time at Oran Park for Round 8 of the Supercar Series. Davison showed last round at Winton that he could swim in the Supercar pool, showing competitive times in demanding practice and qualifying sessions.
Clutch problems retired Davison just one lap into the 300km Winton race but he showed enough over the weekend to keep Team Dynamik's backing for the Oran Park round.
He will again drive the Imrie Motorsport car #14, a Team Dynamik VY leased to the IMS franchise.
Team Dynamik race director Oscar Fiorinotto said Davison's attitude had impressed the Holden outfit. "He made no mistakes in some very difficult and trying conditions. He was also very professional in the way he handled himself with the fans and media," he said. "We couldn't have thrown him in a deeper end if we'd tried!"
The Formula 3 champion took to V8 Supercars like Ian Thorpe to water at the tight and twisting 3km circuit in central Victoria. In more than 60 laps of practice and qualifying, Davison kept his cool, kept competitive and kept the IMS car #14 straight on a cold and slippery track.
"I've had limited laps really in the V8 and have been thrown into the deep end at Winton. I'm out to learn a lot and get experience," he said.
Davison stayed on the black stuff all day Saturday, in wet sessions which saw more seasoned competitors spearing off. Skaife, Bright, Rick Kelly and Simon Wills were among top drivers who needed a tow back on track that day.
"I have achieved what I have set out to do, and I've stayed out of trouble so far," Davison said after that day's sessions.
Team Dynamik race director Fiorinotto echoed Davison's assessment: "His qualifying position was not a true indication of his true speed. His best qualifying time was disallowed after a red flag, and his practice laps were in the top 15 at times," he said.
"Unfortunately he had clutch problems off the line and had to retire after one lap. We were very encouraged by Will's performance and decided to give him another opportunity at Oran Park."
Team Dynamik is keen to have the savvy 21-year-old in its driver stable. Davison had been deep into a European F3 campaign earlier this year when a funding shortfall put his F1 aspirations into a spin.
"For years my dream has been to drive in Formula 1. No-one could have put in any more effort than we have, but for the moment it's on hold," he said.
He looked back home to Australia, and saw the super-competitive V8 Supercar series in a serious growth phase. And family links to Australian motorsport make his name instantly recognisable to fans and teams. Will's elder brother Alex is in the top echelon of Carerra Cup drivers here, and has signed with the Castrol Perkins team as an enduro driver.
Their father Richard was an Australian Formula 2 champion in 1980, and their grandfather, the late Lex Davison, was a four-time Australian Grand Prix champion who died in a race accident at Sandown in 1965.
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