Davis to Make K&N East Debut
Will Drive For NTS At New Hampshire
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – While most 16-year-olds across the country will be planning pool parties or putting off their summer reading requirements this weekend, Spencer Davis will be making his NASCAR K&N Pro Series East debut for NTS Motorsports at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Don’t let the rookie stripes fool you, though. Davis has been racking up wins and warranting praise for his performance behind the wheel of everything from go-karts to modifieds and late models since the age of six – experience he will lean on to calm any first time jitters he faces this weekend.
“We’ve had tons of experience in lower categories of racing,” said Davis. “So knowing that I can get it done is definitely a real big deal, because that’s always the thing about a driver: he never needs to start doubting himself and thinking about if he can run good. I know I can jump into any other car and run real good.”
Familiarity breeds confidence for Davis
A decade-long resume boasting numerous go-kart circuit championships, a 2011 World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing victory at Florida’s New Smyrna Speedway and a 2014 Pro Late Model title at New Smyrna’s prestigious Speedweeks, among other accomplishments, isn’t the only reason Davis is confident heading into his K&N Pro Series East debut.
He’s comfortable with the off-track ins and outs of a NASCAR sanctioned race weekend thanks to a combined 27 starts in the NASCAR Whelen Modified and Whelen Southern Modified Tours, where he has racked up 10 top-10 finishes and two top-fives in the past two years. After running a super late model race at NHMS in June, he knows which lines to run and has a feel for some of the subtle ‘cosmetic’ nuances of the track, like how the scenery and lights can affect visibility. And perhaps most importantly, he knows he has a great team behind him. In four K&N Pro Series East starts this season, NTS Motorsports drivers have finished inside the top 10 each time.
“When you go there knowing that you’re with such a well-structured team, a real winning team, it’s really nice,” said Davis. “Their success just makes life a whole lot easier because you have zero doubts going into the weekend.”
Davis shares Dawsonville connection with famous father-son combo
Still, the confident Davis understands that his first K&N Pro Series East race will be the biggest test on the biggest stage he has faced thus far in his career. It could prove to be a meaningful indicator of what his future holds. But equally telling of where Davis is poised to go in his NASCAR career may very well be where he is coming from.
Davis is a native of Dawsonville, Georgia – a town that breeds race car drivers, none of whom are more well-known to NASCAR fans than Bill and Chase Elliott.
The Elliotts have been prominent figures in the NASCAR landscape for nearly four decades, with racing acumen and accomplishments of the highest level serving as the family heirloom passed from one generation to the next. The Elliotts basically put Dawsonville on the map, but along with that spotlight comes a shadow that threatens to overtake any young driver trying to follow in their footsteps.
“Nine times out of 10, if I’m at an autograph session, especially in Georgia, but somewhere where racing is known, the first questions I’ve got is ‘Do I know Chase?’ and ‘Do I know Bill?’” Davis admits. “It’s a little bit of pressure, you know? I want to be the third driver from Dawsonville to make it into the [NASCAR Sprint] Cup Series and all that cool stuff. But I’m also just trying to make my own name for myself.”
This weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway is Davis’ biggest opportunity to do just that.
Sources: Christian Bochicchio/NASCAR