Denver University Student Enjoying Magical Rookie SCCA SPEED Touring Car Season

For Immediate Release

 

Denver University Student

Enjoying Magical SCCA SPEED Touring Car Rookie Season

 

It is Wednesday, just about 72 hours before Saturday's Round Nine SCCA
SPEED World Challenge Touring Car race in Denver, part of the CENTRIX
Financial Grand Prix of Denver Presented by PacifiCare.  It is 72 hours
before, pending the outcome, 19 year old Brandon Davis could cement his
standing as SPEED Touring Car's top rookie in 2005.

 

That is Saturday, however, and today is Wednesday.  And today is about
first-time apartment shopper Davis finding a new place to live in the
Mile High City before his sophomore year at Denver University begins.

 

Ah, the pressures of being 19.

 

While anyone who has done it knows switching addresses can be a source
of both excitement and stress, moving out of the dorms and finding a new
pad for his second year of college is one of the few pressures Davis has
had to face while taking part in his first full year of SPEED Touring
Car competition.

 

Grabbing a spot with the highly successful RealTime Racing outfit prior
to 2005 (and subsequently teaming up with SPEED World Challenge's most
successful drivers in history in all-time wins leader Peter Cunningham
and second-place Pierre Kleinubing) has given Davis the chance to learn
at his own pace.

 

While the perennial championship chasers do their thing, Davis has been
able to wean himself on their racing knowledge, applying what he picks
up to his own style.  Judging from this season's results, things appear
to be working quite well.

 

"The whole thing with RealTime Racing has gone much better than I could
have ever expected," the teen from Huntington Beach, Calif., said. "I
remember a test day in Texas once with Peter where I joked to the crew
guys that I'd maybe get to turn my lights on for one or two races this
year."

 

Obviously, Davis has received much more than his original wish as he's
raced in every round to this point and plans to finish the season with
all 12 SPEED Touring Car events under his belt.  With each round, Davis
has shown a different flash of potential future brilliance - whether it
was turning a qualifying lap just off the pole, or running a
lightning-quick race lap while showing RealTime-quality consistency
throughout an entire race.  

 

His best finish of 2005 came two weeks ago in Portland where he finished
fifth - the highest finish for a rookie this year.  It's also a perfect
example of the improvement Davis has shown thus far, considering he had
never finished in the top 10 prior to this season.

 

"Up to that point, my best finish was a 12th," Davis said.  "So, to now
be running consistently in the top 10 every race, and now the top five,
it has been great.  I'm just having a great year." 

 

In true Southern Californian fashion, Davis has accepted his success
with laid-back enthusiasm; excited for what he has accomplished, but
eager to improve more.  It's an attitude that he said comes from being
around Cunningham and the rest of the RealTime team.

 

"I've learned a lot about the consistency of being in a championship
race, about getting a good finish every time while still trying to get
faster every race," Davis said.  "One of the things that Peter told me
was that you could be in seventh and could go for sixth by really trying
to stick [the car] in there.  But if you get booted out, then that's a
whole bunch of points you lose out on by finishing 14th or 15th.  Those
places are a lot worse than seventh. You have to think about that."

 

Aside from RealTime, Davis also receives guidance and support from his
father, Mike, who also competes in SPEED World Challenge, but in the
SPEED GT class.  A tight bond exists between the two, and it's a
relationship that the younger Davis relies on heavily.

 

"He's always there for support," Davis said. "He is the first person I
call if he isn't at the race.  He knows what I'm doing because he's
watching live timing and scoring.  He is my best friend, and he helps me
a lot with everything."

 

The rest of the Davis clan is also involved in motorsports, and Davis
said it gives his family something to share.

 

"My dad started racing when I was about four," Davis said. "My mom
thought it was interesting, so she started to try it.  It's just
something that the whole family can relate to, which is nice."

 

Davis' parents do play an active role in his career, and should he wrap
up The Winning Team Racing Apparel SPEED Touring Car Rookie of the Year
honors Saturday, it will be just one more motorsports accomplishment for
them to celebrate together.

 

But that's Saturday, and this is Wednesday.  And today, Davis eased
another worry as he picked out his new apartment, which he will move
into in early September, just in time for school.

 

-30-

 

Photo(s) Credit: Weber/SCCA (c) 2005

 

For more information about this weekend's Round Nine CENTRIX Financial
Grand Prix of Denver Presented by PacifiCare or SCCA Pro Racing SPEED
World Challenge, visit www.world-challenge.com
<http://www.world-challenge.com/> .  

 

Curt K.
_______________
Curtis Kitchen
Public Relations Manager
Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) Inc.
ckitchen@scca.com  
800-770-2055