DAVISON AIMS TO SECURE FUTURE AHEAD OF BATHURST

Will Davison aims to secure future ahead of Bathurst – Photo: Supplied

It could be a big Bathurst week coming up for Will Davison.

By BRUCE NEWTON

Not only is he among the favourites for the race sharing the Monster Energy Ford Mustang with Cameron Waters, but he could also have his 2021 return to full-time Supercars action sorted out by the time the lights go out on October 18 to signal the start of the 1000km classic.

Davison finds himself sharing the Monster Mustang with Waters after losing his own championship drive with Tickford Racing during the coronavirus lockdown when Phil Munday withdrew 23Red’s entry.

Since then Davison has emerged as one of the key players in the 2021 silly season, linked with DJR Team Penske, Tickford and a new squad potentially being set up by the Blanchard family. There is said to be at least one other potential option for Davison that has yet to come to light.

The negotiations are looking good enough for Davison to believe he can nail down his long term future before he focusses on winning the Great Race for a third time.

“That’s what I am pushing for and I would certainly like to think that would be the case and that’s what I aiming for,” Davison told Auto Action.

“I don’t think I am dreaming on that front. It’s not 100 per cent that will be the case but that is my ideal scenario.

“I feel quite good about things … I am still talking to quite a few teams to get some final bits of the puzzle together.”

Davison is confident he and last-start winner Waters can live up to their ranking among the favourites for the Bathurst 1000.

“Cam is showing some really good form at the moment and he seems really calm and relaxed,” he said. “He and his engineer Pottsy (Sam Potter) seem to have a good handle on the car and they seem really confident they are going to be able to tune the car to what’s required at Bathurst and be there or thereabouts.

“The pit stops seem solid. Any time you win going into Bathurst it helps the morale of the whole crew.”

Davison says he understands he has a very different role as the co-driver, compared to his normal position as the lead driver in a Bathurst entry.

“I am preparing and getting those nerves and anticipation,” he said. “It’s cool to be getting into it now. It’s a bit of a strange feeling after being out of the seat so long.

“It’s been too long thinking about things, I just want to get back to doing what we do and just try and fit in with Cam’s program. I am all ears and I will just do as I am told basically.”

Co-drivers have been starved of seat time during the coronavirus, but have been handed extra practice at Mount Panorama. Davison is confident he will soon be up to pace. The last time he drove a Supercar was the Thursday of the Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park.

“I am certainly in a better position than most in terms of familiarity with the car,” he said. “It’s not a whole new philosophy or a new set-up I’ve got to get used to with brake pads and master cylinders and driving styles.

“I haven’t been out of the car for six months before, but I know every year for 15 years I’ve been off for three months and my second lap of the test day always feels like I’ve never left.

“The only real concern for me is I am driving in Cam’s seat so the seat position is different and you’d like to take care of that at a drive day before Bathurst. But no-one has that luxury.

“We’d like to get that sorted on Thursday [the first day of practice] at Bathurst.”

Davison is aware the speed he and Waters both have handed them strategy opportunities at Bathurst that not all teams possess.

“Cam is a last-race winner, Tickford is a good team and I was main game at the start of this year at that team starting in the top three.

“So naturally people think we are a gun combo, but I don’t dwell on that. We have to do the job, we have a mammoth task at hand.

“We’ll be in the hunt somewhere there for sure. We might be able to be a bit flexible, a bit aggressive with our strategy, how we choose it.

“I am willing to do whatever they ask me to do and we’ll see if we can go against the tide a little bit and have a good crack at winning it.”

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