Scotch College

James wins at Indianopolis

AFL football has the MCG, cricket has Lords, golf has St Andrews and motor racing has the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. This world-famous circuit often referred to as the Brickyard due to its original surface being made of bricks, witnessed Australian Motorsport history when James Davison (Davidson House 2004) won Round 7 of the 2005 Formula BMW USA Championship.

Making the victory even sweeter, James became the second Australian to ever win at Indy, the first being his cousin Alex in 2002, keeping the Davison name at the forefront of international competition.

James said, ‘I made a great start, and I am delighted with my drive. To be the second Australian and Davison to win here is something I am still trying to get my head around. It was fantastic to hear the Australian national anthem on the podium particularly after kissing the yard of bricks which marks the finishing line in front of the huge grandstands.’ After watching the race with Mark Webber, BMW Motorsport Director Dr Mario Theissen stated, ‘We saw an exciting race with lots of overtaking. It was a clear victory for James Davison who performed superbly.’ James’ program for 2005 commenced three days after completing his VCE in November last year, when he flew to Italy to see his cousin Will Davison test for the Minardi Formula One Team. James then proceeded onto the Adria Circuit south of Venice and to Valencia in Spain where he undertook extensive testing. James has only resided in Australia for two weeks since finishing at Scotch.

James’ older brother Charles (Davidson House 2002) also established his motor racing credentials when he secured pole position and fastest race lap in a Porsche 944 at a recent Sandown meeting. Charles, who is a qualified private pilot, spent his gap year in China and is now fluent in Mandarin Chinese. He is completing a Commerce degree majoring in Chinese and International Business at Deakin University.

Both the boys often reflect on the great years they enjoyed at Scotch College and regularly keep in touch with many of their school friends.