2008 Woodie Awards
Senior on the fast track
Business major looks to get back onto podium in '08
Brooks Kirchheimer
Issue date: 3/4/08 Section: Sports
Senior business major Brandon Davis is a student like none other. Just like his sport: auto racing.
This is a profession, not an NCAA sport or casual weekend activity, and Davis is a professional and has been since 2004.
"I just love to compete," says Davis. "It is always something that I have been pretty good at. It's a lot of fun. I don't have any more fun doing anything else."
No, Davis is not running laps with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the NASCAR circuit. Instead, he is a competitor on the SPEED GT circuit that this year will have 10 races across the country.
Davis explains the difference. "It is a totally different circuit. This is more road racing. There is a lot more money in NASCAR because of the commercial appeal, but I think car racing is a lot more fun."
At the tender age of 22, Davis already is a veteran, entering his fifth year on the circuit. He is eager to rebound from what he says was a disappointing 2007 season, although to the casual racing fan, it would look anything but disappointing: four top-10 finishes, over $20,000 in winnings and, oh yeah, 10th place overall in the point standings out of 42 competitors.
Davis first caught the auto-racing bug at the age of nine when his dad, Mike Davis, was an amateur racer and got his son started in go-cart racing. By the age of 14, Davis started competing in shifter-cart races, which are basically go-carts that go up to 120 mph. Just a couple years later, Davis not only got the traditional driver's license like any teenager, but also earned his car-racing license.
In June 2004, the Los Angeles native became pro and made his racing debut in Portland, Ore.
"Just getting offered to drive for a team in my first pro race, I was fortunate to race with my dad's team," said Davis about the process of becoming professional.
The SPEED GT circuit contains both grand prix races, where the courses are on actual streets like the Long Beach Grand Prix, and also permanent road courses.
This is a profession, not an NCAA sport or casual weekend activity, and Davis is a professional and has been since 2004.
"I just love to compete," says Davis. "It is always something that I have been pretty good at. It's a lot of fun. I don't have any more fun doing anything else."
No, Davis is not running laps with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the NASCAR circuit. Instead, he is a competitor on the SPEED GT circuit that this year will have 10 races across the country.
Davis explains the difference. "It is a totally different circuit. This is more road racing. There is a lot more money in NASCAR because of the commercial appeal, but I think car racing is a lot more fun."
At the tender age of 22, Davis already is a veteran, entering his fifth year on the circuit. He is eager to rebound from what he says was a disappointing 2007 season, although to the casual racing fan, it would look anything but disappointing: four top-10 finishes, over $20,000 in winnings and, oh yeah, 10th place overall in the point standings out of 42 competitors.
Davis first caught the auto-racing bug at the age of nine when his dad, Mike Davis, was an amateur racer and got his son started in go-cart racing. By the age of 14, Davis started competing in shifter-cart races, which are basically go-carts that go up to 120 mph. Just a couple years later, Davis not only got the traditional driver's license like any teenager, but also earned his car-racing license.
In June 2004, the Los Angeles native became pro and made his racing debut in Portland, Ore.
"Just getting offered to drive for a team in my first pro race, I was fortunate to race with my dad's team," said Davis about the process of becoming professional.
The SPEED GT circuit contains both grand prix races, where the courses are on actual streets like the Long Beach Grand Prix, and also permanent road courses.
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