Davison made his verizon indycar series debut in august 20 at midohio sports car course and also competing at sonoma raceway in a dale coyne racing car. Davison was the father of australian racing drivers jon davison and richard davison and grandfather of alex davison, will davison and james davison. Team 23 red racing the tradies team for every tradie. Lex davison drove alfa romeos too alfa romeo owners. Lex davison drove 2vev to victory in the gt support race for the 1961 british grand prix and.
The bulk of the racers in the smallish australian racing scene were based in. The 1957 australian drivers championship was a camssanctioned australian motor racing title for drivers of formula libre cars. Qualiying heat, over 3 laps, for the 1959 bathurst 100 at mt panorama bathurst nsw. And, between gp drivers, with f2 and fj driver steve ouvaroff also, roy bloxams widow, a driver in her own right, later married mike salmon in a reverse situation, tony gaze married the widow of johnny wakefield, and later the widow of lex davison. Davison dominated the championship, winning six of the nine races, including the. He drove hwm jaguar, ferrari, aston martin and cooperclimax grand prix cars. The lategreat lex davison was a multiaustralian grand prix winner, his sons richard and jon raced, richards son will is. Sandown to salute the cavaliers of the circuits golden era. Mg and motor racing in australia i have written about lex davisons cars on primotipo before, he was a winner of the australian grand prix four times, winner of the inaugural australian drivers championship, the gold star in 1957 and was the father and. Stepgrandfather, tony gaze, was a wwii spitfire ace and later went on to become the founder of motor racing at goodwood and australias first formula 1 driver. In the 70lap final, run in murderous 104degree heat, jones took the lead from davison ending lap two. In the centre is norm beechey in the 63 galaxie that was also raced at various times by len lukey and lex davison. Click to show race results for united sports car championship gtd 2014.
Drivers who win the australian grand prix are awarded the lex davison trophy, so named to honour davison who was the first 4time winner of the. His grandmother diana davidson was also a race car driver. This holden 48215 fx has been built to tackle the 20 historic monte carlo rally, reenacting the 60th anniversary of the first holden used in international motorsport, and to date the only ever australian entry in the monte carlo rally. Alexander nicholas davison 12 february 1923 20 february 1965 was a racing driver who won the australian grand prix four times between 1954 and 1961 and won the australian drivers championship in 1957. Will davison the official website of supercars driver will davison.
He was lucky enough to be able to afford to race these cars when. Drivers wives who later married other drivers tnfs. Davison was the husband of female racing driver diana davison and father of australian racing drivers jon davison and richard davison and grandfather of alex davison, will davison and james davison. Alexander nicholas lex davison 19231965, racing motorist, was born on 12 february 1923 at moonee ponds, melbourne, only child of victorianborn parents alexander ambrose davison, manufacturer, and his wife elizabeth, nee nolan.
He is the young australian driver in the pirelli world challenge with ae replay xd nissan gt academy, but who race for dale coyne racing at the indy 500, he filled. News of the death of lex davison at sandown park has deeply shocked all motoring enthusiasts a. James davison nicknamed jd was born in august 1986 in melbourne, victoria, as a son of jon davison, a former racing driver and a promoter of racing events at sandown raceway. His grandfather, lex davison, was an australian driver s champion with an illustrious career to include winning the australian grand prix four times. Alex davison in melbourne, australia, is an australian racing driver. Starting off like most drivers in gokarts, will then quickly escalated to formula ford, winning the championship in 2000 and 2001. He is currently racing in the virgin australia supercars championship, driving the no. May 31, 2004 and, between gp drivers, with f2 and fj driver steve ouvaroff also, roy bloxams widow, a driver in her own right, later married mike salmon in a reverse situation, tony gaze married the widow of johnny wakefield, and later the widow of lex davison. His grandfather, lex davison, won the australian grand prix four times and his father, jon davison, was a driver. Davison sustained severe head injuries and was dead when officials reached him. Born on the 12th february, 1923, alexander nicholas lex davison would go on to become a leading race driver, winning the australian grand prix four times. They speak also of his skill as a raconteur, his sportsmanship and his pride in both family and country.
Lex used this monster in many races and hillclimbs for a couple of years. Dec 23, 2003 first he entered for the 1964 6hour at sandown park, with lex davison as co driver. Lex davisons 3litre exf1 ferrari, and 2520 won its preliminary heat in dominant style. Gaze was also stepgrandfather to the third generation of davison racing drivers, alex, will and james.
In 1961, fresh out of the factory, it ran at le mans 24 hours, and although it and its sister car, 1vev retired with blown cylinderhead gaskets, 2vev went on to have a short but starry career. While davison later handed over his car to co driver bill patterson, jones drove unrelieved and began to suffer from heatstroke. Jds grandfather lex davison was also a racer, a fourtime winner of the australian grand prix. Simon popplewell and myles johnson have been busy working their way through the many, many photos that are in bob janes photo collection, and scanning each one for posterity. In 2009, he won the bathurst with co driver garth tander. Both were very fast drivers, both drove very well prepared cars, perhaps lex was.
The only other driver to win the event four times is the 7 time world champion michael schumacher. Lex davison drove alfa romeos too alfa romeo owners clubof. Looking at the number plate on the valiant, its the same car raced by abbott, but whether this is him here i cant say for sure. Oct 31, 2015 sandown to salute the cavaliers of the circuits golden era. A factory built racing car in 193334 for freddie diixon, it won at brooklands in 1935 and was also driven by reg parnell in the u.
James davison comes from a long lineage of professional racecar drivers. He won the 2004 australian carrera cup championship. The bathurst is a 1,000kilometre 620 mi touring car race held annually on. Races, wins, podiums, pole positions, fastest laps. The car was to suffer one of lex s many huge prangs and to hang precariously through the fence over the dam at peters corner for much of the race. Alexander nicholas lex davison 19231965, racing motorist, was born on 12 february. He received the barry sheene medal for his sportsmanship and personality in 2009. Both careers could have been different had he not been taken out of military service. Lex davidson australian land speed racing past and present. Repaired, i think it ran at warwick farm in february 65 without incident. Biography alexander nicholas lex davison australian.
Australian race car driver who won the 2001 australian formula ford championship. He drove hwmjaguar, ferrari, aston martin and cooperclimax grand prix cars davison won class a of the 1960 armstrong 500, forerunner of the bathurst. Alex davison has extensive sportscar and touring car racing experience competing in porsche carrera cup, porsche supercup, le mans series, and supercars both as a fulltime racer and co driver alongside some of the categories best whincup, coulthard, van gisbergen, davison. The grandson of 3 time australian grand prix winner, lex davison. The twotime bathurst winner joined phil mundays new team two years ago, racing an extickford falcon out of its own base in outer melbourne. Historic racing cars in australia john blanden, glory days albert park 1953 1958 barry green, almost unknown. What they may not be aware of however are the many other fields in which he had an interest. Alexander davison in melbourne, australia, is an australian racing driver. Oct 01, 2015 mg and motor racing in australia i have written about lex davisons cars on primotipo before, he was a winner of the australian grand prix four times, winner of the inaugural australian drivers championship, the gold star in 1957 and was the father and grandfather of two generations of champion racers. Alexander davison born 3 november 1979 in melbourne, australia, is an australian racing driver. The twotime bathurst winner joined phil mundays new team two years ago, racing an extickford falcon out. Alexander nicholas lex davison 19231965, racing motorist, was born on 12. At the australian grand prix race at caversham lex davison shared the winning car with bill patterson. Davison comes from a long line of race car drivers, for starters, lex davidson his grandfather was a fourtime australian grand prix winner, his father jon competed in the formula 500, so did his uncle richard.
Lex davison in the supercharged ssk 38250 7lt mercedes benz. The complete history of the most valuable aston martin to. Lex davison larger than life, a book by graham howard. He grew up in a prominent racing family in melbourne, australia. His wife, diana, also was a good driver and even wrestled the merc up. As part of the davison motorsport dynasty, he is the older brother of will davison, grandson of lex davison and cousin to james davison.
The davison family has a long history with the albert park circuit, dating back to wills grandfather lex davison, a fourtime australian grand prix winner who raced in the 1953 agp at the. View more happenings get the latest news from will davison read more. John snow, hope bartlett and alec mildren all raced the dixon riley here in australia. With over 15 years of experience in racing all over the globe. In the scorching heat of a western australian summer in 1957, patterson stepped into lex davisons ferrari 625 f1 as a relief driver, working together to defeat stan jones to win the 1957 australian grand prix. Lex davison sits in his alfa while tony gaze looks on. His grandfather lex davison was a fourtime australian grand prix winner. Lex davison, excited to win the 1956 bathurst 100, easter 1956 any win on the mountain in any era rates highly with drivers, such is the challenge of the place. Lex davison had two lives, one as a successful maker of womens shoes and one as a successful racing driver.
Jd davison autosport, llc verizon indycar series pirelli. Will davison is popular for being a race car driver. Alexander lex davison was born into a well to do family in melbourne in 1923. James grandfather, lex davison, was 4 times winner of the australian grand prix, competing against racing greats bruce mclaren, jim clark and graham hill. Lex davison and tony gaze at the rob roy hillclimb speed, style. His wife, diana, also was a good driver and even wrestled the merc up the rob roy hillclimb in victoria to win the ladies trophy in 1948. Lex davison, mg tc, the lobethal stobie pole and the lucky. Alex davison is an australian racing driver who currently serves as endurance co driver to his brother will davison in the supercars championship prior to that, alex competed with porsche cars in different gt competitions fia world endurance championship, european le mans series or australian carrera cup. Squadron leader tony gaze squadron leader tony gaze, who has died aged 93, was a second world war spitfire fighter ace and later became a highly successful motor racing driver. First he entered for the 1964 6hour at sandown park, with lex davison as co driver. The car was to suffer one of lexs many huge prangs and to hang precariously through the fence over the dam at peters corner for much of the race. Having enjoyed a big step forward in 2019 coinciding with 23red racings move under the tickford umbrella, will davison is eyeing even more this season.
On 20 february 1965 at the sandown park circuit near springvale, while driving his 2. The only other driver to win the event four times is. Miranda tingley this stunning lady is miranda tingley. A great many people, both in australia and overseas fondly remember lex davison as an outstanding driver of competition cars. Cooperclimax grand prix cars, and set two records at the rob roy hillclimb. Lex davison alexander nicholas davison, 12 february 1923 20 february 1965 won the australian grand prix four times, the first to do so, between 1954 and 1961. He won the australian grand prix in 1954 driving a jaguar, 1957, 1958 both. By the time 1948 had come around, lex had decided that it was time to upgrade to a real racing car. Lex davison and the fearsome holmanmoody 427 ford galaxie. He drove hwmjaguar, ferrari, aston martin and cooperclimax grand prix cars davison won class a of the 1960 armstrong 500, forerunner of the bathurst, driving an nsu prinz. Davo was one of the most popular drivers with competitors and spectators. James davisons girlfriend miranda tingley bio, wiki. He and paul dumbrell are both winenrs of the bathurst. Lex davison, mg tc, the lobethal stobie pole and the.
Contact newcastle gallery the newcastle 500 captured in photographs. The bathurst light car clubs lex davison gate at the top end of conrod straight is a constant reminder of his grandfathers exploits as one of australias first motor racing superstars. The davison clan reads like a whos who of australian racing history. He won the australian grand prix in 1954 driving a jaguar, 1957, 1958.
If it isnt the most famous aston martin, then surely 2vevthe exessex racing stable db4 gt zagatois one of the most recognizable. Sports car world obituary lex davison was my friend, he was a gentleman and he drove a racing car like all of us would like to drive racing cars and now that hes gone motor racing has lost most of its joy. May 28, 2017 davison comes from a long line of race car drivers, for starters, lex davidson his grandfather was a fourtime australian grand prix winner, his father jon competed in the formula 500, so did his uncle richard. Lex davison had two lives, one as a successful maker of womens shoes and one as a. The complete history of the most valuable aston martin to never win a major race.
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