Alex Davison will tackle the Surfers Paradise Street Circuit with the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Championship this weekend, looking to pick up where he left off in Townsville where he took the round win in the Ashley Seward Motorsport prepared car.
After two top 10 results at the season-opening Australian Grand Prix, Davison improved to a pair of runner-up finishes and race three victory to take overall honours in Townsville.
Driving the #222 entry owned and backed by Scott Taylor Motorsport, Davison had climbed to fifth in the championship after Townsville but has slipped back in the points after he was forced to miss the Sandown round due to car damage sustained in an unavoidable Tailem Bend incident.
It’s a return to a circuit this weekend where Davison has raced extensively before, but not in Carrera Cup since 2017 where he earned two podium finishes. The most recent visit to the circuit came in 2019 where Davison earned two seventh place results in Supercars. The 17-time round winner in Carrera Cup competition took the outright honours at the Surfers Paradise street circuit in 2006.
Notably, the infamous tyre bundles that have long adorned the chicanes around the Gold Coast track won’t be present for this year’s visit. A change that Davison sees as a positive one after the category endured a costly trip to the circuit in 2022.
“The tyre bundles are terrible for any car if you hit them, they do a lot of damage, but when they’re installed it’s vital to cut them as fine as possible,” said Davison.
“Last year, the category actually emptied out the parts trucks of radiators and front bumpers. So, it’s a positive change and should reduce a bit of the expense and damage for teams and drivers. Looking to the round, it’s a matter of weighing up risk and reward as the weekend goes on. Ultimately by the time we get to qualifying you need to be leaving nothing on the table.
“We’re hoping our setup and our car from Townsville will translate, and our base setup puts us in a good position. There’s a bit of rain forecast for Friday, but I don’t spend much time looking at that stuff, we’ll just see what mother nature gives us on the day. That said, I think we’d rather it be wet early in the weekend than later when we’re trying to push the limits.
“It’s a home race for Scott Taylor Motorsport and for myself, Scott and I will both have plenty of friends and family coming out in support. Hoping we can put on a good show and performance for STM in their home round,” concluded Davison.
Round seven of the Porsche Paynter Dixon Carrera Cup Championship gets underway with Friday practice on October 27 at the Gold Coast 500.