Richard Davison’s victory in the 2022 Victorian Formula Ford Series was delivered in a car that has special meaning to one of the great Australian motorsport families.
The son of the late Lex and father of Supercar drivers Will and Alex, Davison was the class of the 1600/Kent Class field in the fifth round of the series at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit, claiming pole, three wins, and three fastest laps to secure the championship in dominant fashion.
He achieved the feat 22 years after his son Will did so in the same car, which was also Alex’s first Formula Ford car.
His nephew, former IndyCar Series driver James Davison also got his start in the same chassis.
The car also enjoyed success with drivers from outside the family, with Garth Tander winning the national series in the same car in 1997.
Reflecting on the car’s history, Davison told Speedcafe.com that it was a special win.
“I feel pretty emotional about it, to be quite honest with you, because you know, racing cars is one thing that for us as a family, there’s a lot of history that goes into our involvement in the sport,” Davison said.
“The car I was driving on the weekend was really the start of the careers of both of my boys Alex and Will, they both got their start out of go-karts in this car.
“It was a very special moment for me, the boys, and my family.”
Initially planning to contest the series on a round-by-round basis, early success saw him commit to the full calendar.
“I was deciding after each round whether I was going to keep going in the series, if I was going okay, I would keep going,” Davison added.
“As it turned out, I won the first round, so I thought I had to lock myself in then and keep going.
“To finish it off the way I did was very special.”
Following the weekend, Will Davison took to social media to congratulate his father on the victory.
“I couldn’t be more proud of my dad for winning the Victoria Formula Ford title for 1600/Kent cars over the weekend,” the Shell V-Power Racing Team driver posted.
“Seeing dad out there driving so well and showing so much passion means a lot us, he’s loving every moment and that’s what it’s all about.
“He sacrificed so much and his own racing to support Alex and I from day one, and really has enabled me to live my dream.”
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