James Davison

James Douglas Davison (born 28 August 1986) is an Australian professional racing driver who drives an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 in the Blancpain GT World Challenge America. He has also competed in the NTT IndyCar Series, NASCAR Cup Series, and NASCAR Xfinity Series. He is sometimes also called JD (or J. D.) Davison.

His father Jon Davison was a Formula 5000 competitor and was the long-running promoter of racing events at Sandown Raceway. Davison's grandfather, Lex Davison, was a four-time winner of the Australian Grand Prix. He is a cousin of V8 Supercar drivers Alex and Will Davison. He also competed as a coxswain as part of Scotch College's championship-winning rowing crew in 2003.

Racing career Open-wheel Junior formula

In 2004, Davison joined the ranks of Formula Ford in his native Australia, running in both the Victorian and National Championships. At the end of 2004, he won a scholarship at the BMW Junior Scholarship Finals in Valencia. For 2005, he competed in the Formula BMW USA Junior Series, qualifying on the front row at the Canadian Formula 1 Grand Prix in Montreal, won at the US Grand Prix held at the world-famous Indianapolis Motor Speedway, was second at the Denver street circuit and Mid-Ohio and third at Barber Motorsports Park and Road Atlanta. Based on these performances, Davison became part of the Confederation of Australian Motorsport Elite Driver program which included attendance at the Australian Institute of Sport and financial support from the Foundation. At the end of the season, he qualified and finished tenth at the Formula BMW Final at Bahrain.

2006 saw Davison again compete in the United States in the Formula Atlantic series for Team Australia. After the Denver round, he was dropped by the team for fellow Aussie Michael Patrizi. 2007 saw Davison progress into the Star Mazda Championship where current IndyCar Series drivers Marco Andretti and Graham Rahal previously competed. Driving for Velocity Motorsports, Davison proved to be an outstanding competitor finishing second in the Championship; earning three pole positions and one win.

Indy Lights

2008 found Davison in the Firestone Indy Lights series, racing for Sam Schmidt Motorsports. He struggled throughout the first half of the season, but captured his first series pole at Nashville Superspeedway, a concrete oval, in July. His first win came in bizarre circumstances in a wet race at Mid-Ohio. While running second on the last lap, race leader Jonny Reid went into pit lane instead of the finish line, handing Davison the victory. Davison also received the Sunoco Most Improved Driver Award at the IRL Championship Celebration held in Las Vegas. Davison finished second in the 2009 Firestone Indy Lights Championship with a new team Vision Racing, again winning at Mid-Ohio. Davison was running at the finish of all fifteen races and finished in the top ten in all but one.

IndyCar In November 2011, Davison tested for Andretti Autosport at Palm Beach International Raceway, Florida. He shared the car with Indy Lights driver Gustavo Yacaman.

In 2013, Davison tested a car for Dale Coyne Racing at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. A few weeks later, it was announced that he would drive the team's No. 18 car at the race there. It would be his first open wheel race appearance since 2009. Following the horrific accident by Sebastian Bourdais during qualifying for the 2017 Indianapolis 500, it was announced that Davison would be stepping into the No. 18 Dale Coyne Racing Honda. In the later stages of the race, Davison matched a record set by Tom Sneva in 1980 and became the third driver in Indy history to start 33rd and lead laps in the race, having led two laps. He then got caught up in a late wreck with seventeen laps to go. A year later, Davison barely qualified for the 2018 Indianapolis 500, bumping out longtime IndyCar rival James Hinchcliffe. He would finish in last place, after a crash on lap 47 caused by contact with Takuma Sato's car. Davison finished in last place again at the 2020 Indianapolis 500 due to a mechanical failure only six laps into the race.

Historic racing In 2011, Davison drove his Uncle Richard Davison's Lola T332 Formula 5000 car at Phillip Island and Albert Park. In 2012, he returned to drive it again at Phillip Island. In 2019, he drove a Lotus 18 at Goodwood and Lotus 81 at Silverstone. In 2022, Davison drove a Hill GH1 at the 13th Historic Monaco. Then drove again at Spa in September.

Sports car racing 2010 saw Davison make his sportscar debut in the Grand-Am Series for Starworks Motorsports Corsa Car Care Dinan-BMW Riley partnering Ryan Dalziel and Mike Forest in the Sahlen's Six Hours of The Glen finishing seventh. He was then drafted in to run at the 6 Hours of Watkins Glen the Crown Royal 200 also at Watkins Glen. In 2011, he drove for Michael Shank Racing at Laguna Seca.

Driving with The Racer's Group in an Aston Martin in 2014, Davison scored four consecutive GTD class poles across the final races of the 2014 and first race of the 2015 season.

In 2015, Davison joined Nismo factory team to drive a Nissan GT-R in the Pirelli World Challenge. He continued with Always Evolving Racing in the GT-R in 2016 before moving to The Racer's Group for the 2017 season.

NASCAR Davison's No. 51 car at Michigan International Speedway in 2020 Davison made his first NASCAR start in 2016, driving the No. 90 King Autosport car in the Xfinity Series for the Road America 180. He started eighteenth and went down one position after making contact with Scott Heckert on the last lap.

In 2020, Davison raced in the Cup Series for the first time in the Pocono Organics 325 at Pocono Raceway with Spire Motorsports. His Cup debut had been delayed on two occasions earlier in the season, with a Daytona 500 start for Jonathan Byrd's Racing ultimately failing to materalise, while his GEICO 500 entry at Talladega Superspeedway with Spire was disallowed due to his lack of experience on such tracks.

Davison committed to an approximately 26-race schedule with RWR for the 2021 Cup season. In May, he dominated the eNASCAR iRacing Pro Invitational Series race at Circuit of the Americas, leading 32 of 33 laps and finished twelve seconds ahead of Anthony Alfredo. He continued his dominance in the series at the virtually-designed Chicago Street Course, capturing the pole, leading every lap, and winning by 56 seconds over his Rick Ware Racing teammate Josh Bilicki. He also raced at the 2021 YellaWood 500 for the No. 66 MBM Motorsports Ford with sponsorship from Rich Mar Florist.

Motorsports career results Season Series Position Car Team 2004 Victorian Formula Ford Championship 6th Van Diemen RF95 – Ford Alex Davison Australian Formula Ford Championship 21st 2005 Formula BMW USA 6th Mygale FB02 – BMW HBR Motorsport Formula BMW World Final 10th Team Meritus 2006 Champ Car Atlantic 17th Swift 016.a – Mazda Cosworth Walker Racing 2007 Star Mazda Championship 2nd Star – Mazda Velocity Motorsports 2008 Indy Lights 9th Dallara IPS – Infiniti Sam Schmidt Motorsports 2009 Indy Lights 2nd Dallara IPS – Infiniti Vision Racing 2010 Rolex Sports Car Series 34th Riley & Scott Mk. XX – BMW Starworks Motorsport 2011 Rolex Sports Car Series 56th Riley & Scott Mk. XX – Ford Michael Shank Racing 2012 Australian Carrera Cup Championship 20th Porsche 997 GT3 Cup McElrea Racing 2013 IndyCar 32nd Dallara DW12-Honda Dale Coyne Racing 2014 Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge - GS 37th Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 TRG - AMR United Sports Car Championship - GTD 21st IndyCar 29th Dallara DW12-Chevrolet KV Racing Technology 2015 Pirelli World Challenge - GT 4th Nissan GT-R GT3 AE/Replay XD/Nissan GT Academy United Sports Car Championship - GTD 15th Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 TRG - AMR IndyCar 38th Dallara DW12-Honda Dale Coyne Racing 2016 Pirelli World Challenge - GT 7th Nissan GT-R GT3 AE/Replay XD/Nissan GT Academy WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - GTD 37th Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 TRG - AMR Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America - ProAm 11th Lamborghini Huracán LP620-2 TRG - Lamborghini NASCAR Xfinity Series 63rd Chevrolet King Autosport 2017 Pirelli World Challenge - GT 45th Aston Martin Vantage GT3Lamborghini Huracan GT3 TRG/DIME Racing WeatherTech SportsCar Championship - GTD 71st Aston Martin V12 Vantage GT3 TRG IndyCar 35th Dallara DW12-Honda Dale Coyne Racing NASCAR Xfinity Series 43rd Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 2018 IndyCar 41st Dallara DW12-Chevrolet A. J. Foyt Enterprises Byrd-Hollinger-Belardi NASCAR Xfinity Series 56th Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing 2019 IndyCar 28th Dallara DW12-Honda Dale Coyne Racing Byrd-Hollinger-Belardi 2020 NASCAR Cup Series 37th Chevrolet Spire Motorsports Rick Ware Racing 2021 NASCAR Cup Series 32nd Chevrolet Ford Rick Ware Racing MBM Motorsports 2022 NASCAR Xfinity Series 53rd Toyota Joe Gibbs Racing

American open-wheel racing results (key)

Champ Car Atlantic results

Star Mazda Championship Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points 2007 Velocity Motorsports SEB HOU VIR MMP POR CLE TOR RAM TRO MOS RAT LAG 2nd 389

Indy Lights results Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Rank Points 2008 Sam Schmidt Motorsports HMS STP1 STP2 KAN INDY MIL IOW WGL1 WGL2 NSH MOH1 MOH2 KTY SNM1 SNM2 CHI 9th 333 2009 Vision Racing STP1 STP2 LBH KAN INDY MIL IOW WGL TOR EDM KTY MOH SNM CHI HMS 2nd 447

IndyCar Series Year Team No. Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 Rank Points Ref 2013 Dale Coyne Racing 18 Dallara DW12 Honda STP ALA LBH SAO INDY DET DET TXS MIL IOW POC TOR TOR MOH SNM BAL HOU HOU FON 32nd 27 2014 KV Racing Technology 33 Chevrolet STP LBH ALA IMS INDY DET DET TXS HOU HOU POC IOW TOR TOR MOH MIL SNM FON 29th 34 2015 Dale Coyne Racing 19 Honda STP NLA LBH ALA IMS INDY DET DET TXS TOR FON MIL IOW MOH POC SNM 38th 10 2017 18 STP LBH ALA PHX IMS INDY DET DET TXS ROA IOW TOR MOH POC GTW WGL SNM 35th 21 2018 A. J. Foyt Enterprises withByrd-Hollinger-Belardi 33 Chevrolet STP PHX LBH ALA IMS INDY DET DET TXS RDA IOW TOR MOH POC GTW POR SNM 41st 10 2019 Dale Coyne Racing with Byrd/Hollinger/Belardi Honda STP COA ALA LBH IMS INDY DET DET TXS RDA TOR IOW MOH POC GTW POR LAG 28th 36 2020 Dale Coyne Racing withRick Ware Racing & Byrd Belardi 51 TXS IMS ROA ROA IOW IOW INDY GTW GTW MOH MOH IMS IMS STP 34th 10

Indianapolis 500

Sports car racing results (key)

Rolex Sports Car Series Year Team Make Engine Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Rank Points 2010 Starworks Motorsport Riley BMW DP DAY HOM BAR VIR LRP WAT1 MOH DAY2 NJ WAT2 CGV MIL 34th 24 2011 Michael Shank Racing Ford DAY HOM BAR VIR LRP WAT1 RDALAG NJ WAT2 CGV MOH 56th 11 2012 Michael Baughman Racing Corvette Chev GT DAY BMP HMS NJ BIP MOH RA WAT1 IMS WAT2 CGV LAG LRP 57th 23

IMSA SportsCar Championship Year Team Make Engine Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Rank Points 2014 TRG-AMR North America Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Aston Martin 6.0 L V12 GTD DAY SEB LGA DET WGL MOS IMS ELK VIR COA PET 25th 196 2015 TRG-AMR North America Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Aston Martin 6.0 L V12 GTD DAY SEB LGA DET WGL LIM ELK VIR COA PET 15th 113 2016 TRG-AMR Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Aston Martin 6.0 L V12 GTD DAY SEB LGA DET WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR COA PET 37th 32 2017 TRG Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Aston Martin 6.0 L V12 GTD DAY SEB LBH COA DET WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR LGA PET 71st 18 2022 Gilbert Korthoff Motorsports Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo Mercedes-AMG M159 6.2 L V8 GTD DAY SEB LBH LGA MOH DET WGL MOS LIM ELK VIR PET 51st 326

Pirelli World Challenge YearTeamMakeEngineClass 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Rank Points 2015 Always Evolving Nissan GT-R GT AUS1 AUS2 STP1 STP2 LBH BAR11* BAR2 MOS1 MOS2 DET ELK1 ELK2 ELK3 MOH1 MOH22 MIL1 MIL2 SON1 SON2 LAG 4th 1562 2016 AUS1 AUS2 STP1 STP2 LBH BAR1 BAR2 MOS1 MOS2 LRP1 LRP2 ELK1 ELK2 MOH1 MOH2 UTA1 UTA2 SON1 SON2 LAG7 7th 1210 2017 The Racer's Group Aston Martin Vantage GT3 GT STP1 STP2 LBH 45th 44 Dime Racing Lamborghini Huracan GT3 SprintX VIR1 VIR2 MOS1 LRP1 LRP2 ELK1 ELK2 MOH1 MOH2 UTA1 UTA2 COA1 COA2 COA3 SON1 SON2

NASCAR (key) (Bold – Pole position awarded by qualifying time. Italics – Pole position earned by points standings or practice time. * – Most laps led.)

Cup Series NASCAR Cup Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 Pts Ref 2020 Spire Motorsports 77 Chevy DAY LVS CAL PHO DAR DAR CLT CLT BRI ATL MAR HOM TAL POC34 POC30 IND KEN TEX KAN 37th 56 Rick Ware Racing 53 Chevy NHA30 DAR39 RCH37 BRI35 LVS TAL30 ROV29 51 Ford MCH38 MCH37 DAY39 Chevy DRC30 DOV DOV 53 Ford KAN32 TEX MAR36 PHO33 2021 15 Chevy DAY DRC23 HOM37 LVS PHO33 ATL32 BRD MAR22 RCH33 TAL KAN DAR31 DOV33 COA29 CLT33 SON25 NSH POC28 POC30 ROA28 ATL NHA36 IRC32 MCH DAY BRI33 LVS 32nd 117 51 Ford GLN37 53 Chevy DAR36 RCH MBM Motorsports 66 Ford TAL34 ROV TEX KAN MAR PHO

Xfinity Series NASCAR Xfinity Series results Year Team No. Make 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 Pts Ref 2016 King Autosport 90 Chevy DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC MCH IOW DAY KEN NHA IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA DAR RCH CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 63rd 22 2017 Joe Gibbs Racing 20 Toyota DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL CLT DOV POC MCH IOW DAY KEN NHA IND IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA37* DAR RCH CHI KEN DOV CLT KAN TEX PHO HOM 47th 52 2018 18 DAY ATL LVS PHO CAL TEX BRI RCH TAL DOV CLT POC MCH IOW CHI DAY KEN NHA IOW GLN MOH BRI ROA8 DAR IND LVS RCH ROV DOV KAN TEX PHO HOM 56th 29 2021 B. J. McLeod Motorsports 5 Toyota DAY DRC HOM LVS PHO ATL MAR TAL DAR DOV COA CLT MOH TEX NSH POC ROA ATL NHA GLN IRC18 MCH DAY DAR RCH BRI LVS TAL ROV TEX KAN MAR PHO 94th 01 2022 Joe Gibbs Racing 18 Toyota DAY CAL LVS PHO ATL COA RCH MAR TAL DOV DAR TEX CLT PIR NSH ROA ATL NHA POC IRC MCH GLN DAY DAR KAN BRI TEX TAL ROV LVS HOM MAR PHO 53rd 43

Season still in progress Ineligible for series points

Complete S5000 results Year Series Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Position Points 2020 Australian Team BRM APCR1 APCR2 SMPR3 SMPR4 WINR5 WINR6 BMPR7 BMPR8 PHIR9 PHIR10 SANR11 SANR12 N/C - 2022 Australian Team BRM SYMR1 SYMR2 SYMR3 PHIR4 PHIR5 PHIR6 MELR7 MELR8 MELR9 SMPR10 SMPR11 SMPR12 HIDR13 HIDR14 HIDR15 20th 14