Success Drives Davison at Adams County
NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division II-V Update
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — NASCAR Whelen All-American Series hobby stock driver Andy Davison is in tenacious pursuit of goals this season.
Davison is among the track point leaders at Adams County Speedway in Corning, Iowa. He’s also in the top-20 of national Division V standings.
Davison, 29, of Clarinda, Iowa, placed second to Jeremy Purdy in the track point race and third in the dirt track Division V standings under the former Finalist Program last year.
This year, with a national championship on the line, the taste of success drives him to achieve more.
“This year we’re going for it all,” Davison said. “We’re running for the highest spot we can. We’re going for a championship. That’s where our sites are set. There will be tough weeks, but that’s part of racing.”
Davison opened the season with a win and followed up with a runner-up finish the next week. He came back for a fourth-place finish after a multi-car incident in week three. In the weeks that followed, he’s continued to post top-10 finishes.
Davison has collected a win, three top-fives and six top-10s in six starts.
The NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division II-V Championship program was introduced this year. It will determine support division national championships. In each division, dirt and asphalt tracks are combined in point standings. The four national champions will receive a trophy and a trip to the series national awards event. In addition, the top-three dirt and top-three asphalt drivers will be invited to the series awards event.
STANDINGS: DIVISION II | DIVISION III | DIVISION IV | DIVISION V
The top five NASCAR Whelen All-American Series Division II-V Championship leaders this week include:
• Division II: Spencer Davis, New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway; Keith Rocco, Waterford (Conn.) Speedbowl, Thompson (Conn.) Speedway Motorsports Park; Brad May, New Smyrna; Buddy Head, Kalamazoo (Mich.) Speedway; Garrett Jones, New Smyrna.
• Division III: Jerod Weston, I-80 Speedway, Greenwood, Neb., Adams County; Josh Sink, Adams County, I-80; John Ketron, Kingsport (Tenn.) Speedway, Lonesome Pine Raceway, Coeburn, Va.; Blain Petersen, I-80, Adams County; Jared Umbenhauer, Grandview Speedway, Bechtelsville, Pa.
• Division IV: Brad Derry, Adams County, I-80; Jeremy Menninger, Columbus (Ohio) Motor Speedway; Dave Trudeau, Waterford, Thompson; Jimmy McElfresh, Columbus; Corey Kyer, Columbus.
• Division V: Brian King, Anderson (S.C.) Motor Speedway, Greenville (S.C.) Pickens Speedway; Chris Harvell, Greenville, Anderson; Donavan Beacham, Greenville, Anderson; C.J. Huitt Jr., Anderson, Greenville; Don Tavernia, Greenville, Anderson.
Adams County hobby stock features are 15 laps in distance and average between 15-22 cars. Drivers with the best point average start deep in the feature field. Davison said he is currently starting between 10th and 12th each week.
“If you win at Adams County, they make you earn it,” Davison said. “There’s not one night that anyone in the top-10 can’t win the race. Repeat winners happen, but it’s not for lack of competition.”
This is Davison’s fourth year of hobby stock racing. He followed his cousin Trent Davison into the sport. He was part of the crew when Trent won the track championship in 2009. He bought his cousin’s championship winning car at the end of 2010. Trent moved to b-modifieds for a time before he set aside his own driving to crew for Andy.
“Trent was the foundation for how I started racing,” Davison said. “We’re like brothers. He’s in the pits every week and we talk about set ups and track conditions. He’ll walk the track while I get ready for the feature. If he notices something’s changed with the surface we can adapt the car before we hit the track.”
Davison races exclusively at Adams County Speedway.
“Three years ago if there was a rain out, I’d be going wherever I could to find a race. Now I don’t want to go anywhere. I want to keep the car in top shape for Adams County,” Davison said.
He’s proud to race at the half-mile black clay banked fairgrounds oval.
“Adams County is my favorite track. It’s a premier facility. They’ve got concrete pits, new lighting, everything is updated and they have outstanding competition,” Davison said.
With his third-place finish in 2013 NASCAR Division V standings Davison won an invitation to the series awards event in Charlotte, N.C.
“There is no greater feeling than being recognized by NASCAR in a racing capital like Charlotte,” Davison said. “There’s no greater feeling than being there and feeling like one of the guys. We were shocked when we ran into Mike Joy and Dick Berggren in the hotel elevator. Those are a couple of big-time TV announcers who are just down to earth.”
Davison is an owner-driver and Trent is his crew chief. Team members include Derek Kendall, Matt Churchill, Troy Brown and Cody Clark. Davison and his wife Justine recently celebrated their third wedding anniversary. Davison acquired a Terminator by Harris chassis in the fall of 2012. John Davis of Mid-State Machine is his engine builder. Sponsors include Churchill Enterprises, Swanson Tax & Accounting, and Crop Production Services. Davison works on the family farm that includes 600 acres of corn and soybeans and 250 heads of beef cattle.
Under the NASCAR point structure in Divisions I-V, drivers receive two points for every car they finish ahead of in an event, up to 18 cars. Three bonus points will be awarded to a race winner with a single-digit starting position and five bonus points will be awarded to a race winner with a double-digit starting position. At season’s end, drivers in Divisions II-V will be ranked by their best 14 NASCAR point race results. The season concludes September 21.
Drivers must be NASCAR-licensed and cars will be verified for display of required series sponsor decals to be eligible for NASCAR points and awards.
Sources: Paul Schaefer/NASCAR PR