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ASHLEY DAVIES
Star showing from Ash!
Report: Mike Hayden
3 Nov 2002
Strawberry Racing's new Junior ICA driver, Ashley Davies, covered himself in glory on his debut at P F International on 3 November 2002, when he fought his way to a gallant podium position, behind the likes of the experienced race winners Daniel Rowbottom and Jon Lancaster.
A 3rd place finish in heat 1, only 1.1s adrift of the winner, and a 6th in heat 2 (just 3.8s away from the winner), were enough to put Ash towards the front of the grid for the final. A spirited performance followed, which was quick enough for the 13-year old racer to even lead the final at one stage. It was a performance that had team principal Paul Spencer staring at his new driver in amazement.
To say the final was a tense race would be an understatement, as the fight for the lead became a three-way affair between Ash, Lancaster and Rowbottom, little to choose between them, but with just 1.17s separating the three young aces at the chequered flag.
"Yeah", he said with a confident grin when questioned after the podium presentation, "this was only my 8th race in J-ICA, where I have been racing now for about 4-months. Before today I was with the John Mills team, although I have now moved to Strawberry Racing and it feels very good. Before J-ICA I had only a year in Junior TKM (as privateers, winning a few club races.). Today... hmm, maybe I should have been a bit better, although there were a lot of good drivers out there." (To say that there "were a lot of good drivers out there..." was also an understatement in itself. Besides Rowbottom and Lancaster, the grid was a J-ICA 'who's who', with Christodoulou, Calado, Parrott, Martin-Dye, Dolby, and Anderson, to name but a few. This was solid company for ash to be mixing with) "It was a good race," he continued. "I led for a lap, but I did not quite have the racecraft to beat the other two this time, but that will come with more experience."
Indeed it will and under Paul Spencer's guidance it should not be too long in coming. The Super 1 Championship beckons in 2003, together with potential forays into the European J-ICA Championship, and maybe the Italian series as well. With Chris Coombs acting as Ash's mechanic, the pair blended well at PF International and more success should be just around the corner.
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