Lex Davison
Encyclopedia
Alexander Nicholas Davison (12 February 1923 – 20 February 1965) was a racing driver who won the Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...

 four times between 1954
1954 Australian Grand Prix
The 1954 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held on the streets of Southport in Queensland on November 7, 1954. The race had 28 starters. The race was held over 27 laps of the large nine kilometre circuit....

 and 1961
1961 Australian Grand Prix
The 1961 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at the newly completed Mallala Motor Sport Park on 9 October 1961. The race had 17 starters....

 and won the Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

 in 1957. He drove HWM
Hersham and Walton Motors
Hersham and Walton Motors is the world's longest established Aston Martin business and is well known as a racing car constructor. As a constructor, it is best known for its involvement in Formula Two from 1950 to 1953 and Formula One in 1954...

-Jaguar, Ferrari
Ferrari
Ferrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1929, as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles as Ferrari S.p.A. in 1947...

, Aston Martin
Aston Martin
Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a British manufacturer of luxury sports cars, based in Gaydon, Warwickshire. The company name is derived from the name of one of the company's founders, Lionel Martin, and from the Aston Hill speed hillclimb near Aston Clinton in Buckinghamshire...

 and Cooper
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...

-Climax grand prix cars.

Davison won Class A of the 1960 Armstrong 500
1960 Armstrong 500
The 1960 Armstrong 500 was an endurance motor race for Australian made or assembled standard production sedans. The event was held at the Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit in Victoria on 20 November 1960 over a distance of 167 laps x 3.0 miles = 501 miles....

 forerunner of the Bathurst 1000.

In 1961 he won the Aintree Grand Prix, finished third in the British Empire Trophy and placed tenth in the Intercontinental Championship - his only point being a sixth in the Guards Trophy, all whilst racing an Aston Martin.

He competed at the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans
1961 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 29th Grand Prix of Endurance, and took place on June 10 and 11 1961. It was also the 4th round of the World Sportscar Championship.-Official results:-Did Not Finish:-Statistics:...

 with Bib Stillwell in an Aston Martin DB4GT Zagato. Davison and Stillwell were invited to race for the Essex Racing Stable due to their involvement with Aston Martins in the Australian racing scene. Davison had finished second in the 1960 Australian Grand Prix
1960 Australian Grand Prix
The 1960 Australian Grand Prix was a motor race held at Lowood on 12 June 1960. The race had 16 starters.It was the twenty fifth Australian Grand Prix. Alec Mildren won his only AGP, which was also the second AGP victory for a rear-engined racing car...

 and fourth in the Australian Gold Star Championship in an Aston Martin DBR4/300. Unfortunately their Le Mans adventure ended prematurely when a blown head gasket saw them retire on lap 25.

In 1962 he raced an Aston Martin DBR4/250 in the Australian Gold Star Championship, placing second in the Victorian Trophy and eighth in the Sandown Park International.

On 20 February 1965 Davison died in a crash during practice for the 1965 International 100 at Sandown International Raceway. While accelerating through the dog leg of the back straight in his 2.5L Brabham Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...

 he suffered a heart attack. The car left the road at over 160 km/h, hit a culvert, somersaulted and crashed through a horse railing fence. Davison sustained severe head injuries and was dead when officials reached him.

Davison was the husband of female racing driver Diana Davison and father of Australian racing drivers Jon Davison and Richard Davison and grandfather of Alex Davison
Alex Davison
Alex Davison, born 3 November 1979, in Melbourne, Australia, is best known as a racing driver. Davison currently races for Stone Brothers Racing driving a Ford Falcon in the V8 Supercar Championship Series....

, Will Davison
Will Davison
Will Davison is an Australian racing driver. He currently competes with Ford Performance Racing in the #6 Trading Post FPR Falcon, in the premier Australian touring car class, V8 Supercar.-Early career:...

 and James Davison
James Davison
James Davison, born 28 August 1986 in Melbourne, Australia, is a third-generation race driver whose father Jon Davison was a Formula 5000 competitor and was the long-running promotor of racing events at Sandown Raceway. Davison's grandfather, Lex Davison, was a four-time winner of the Australian...

.

Drivers who win the Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
The Australian Grand Prix is a motor race held annually and is held to be the pinnacle of motor racing in Australia. The Grand Prix is the oldest surviving motor racing competition held in Australia having been held 76 times since it was first run at Phillip Island in 1928. Since 1985 the race has...

 are awarded the Lex Davison Trophy, so named to honor Davison who was the first 4 time winner of the event (the only other 4 time winner is 7 time World Champion Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...

). This trophy, designed and made in Britain by Mr Rex Hays to the order of CAMS
Confederation of Australian Motor Sport
The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport , has been the governing body of Australian motorsport since 1953. It is affiliated with the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile ....

, incorporates a silver model of the Austin 7
Austin 7
The Austin 7 was a car produced from 1922 through to 1939 in the United Kingdom by the Austin Motor Company. Nicknamed the "Baby Austin", it was one of the most popular cars ever produced for the British market, and sold well abroad...

 driven to victory in the first Australian Grand Prix in 1928.

Career results

Season Series Position Car Team
1957
1957 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 1957 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS-sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Libre cars. It was the first time a motor racing title was contested over a series of motor racing events at Australian motor racing circuits...

Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

1st Ferrari 625 F1
1958
1958 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 1958 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Libre cars.The title was contested over a nine race series with the winner awarded the 1958 CAMS Gold Star.-Calendar:...

Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

5th Ferrari 500
1960
1960 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 1960 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Libre cars. The title was contested over a seven race series with the winner awarded the 1960 CAMS Gold Star....

Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

4th Aston Martin DBR4
Aston Martin DBR4
The Aston Martin DBR4/250, commonly referred to simply as the DBR4, is a Formula One racing car, designed by Ted Cutting for the sports car manufacturer Aston Martin...

1961
1961 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 1961 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Libre cars. The title was contested over a five race series with the winner awarded the 1961 CAMS Gold Star....

Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

2nd Aston Martin DBR4
Aston Martin DBR4
The Aston Martin DBR4/250, commonly referred to simply as the DBR4, is a Formula One racing car, designed by Ted Cutting for the sports car manufacturer Aston Martin...

1962
1962 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 1962 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned motor racing title for drivers of Formula Libre racing cars. The winner of the title, which was the sixth Australian Drivers' Championship, was awarded the 1962 CAMS Gold Star.-Schedule:...

Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

6th Cooper
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...

 T53 Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...

1963
1963 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 1963 Australian Drivers' Championship was a CAMS sanctioned national motor racing title for drivers of Formula Libre cars with the championship winner awarded the 1963 CAMS Gold Star...

Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

4th Cooper
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...

 T62 Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...

1964
1964 Tasman Series
The 1964 Tasman Series was the first Tasman Series season. It began on 4 January 1964 and ended on 2 March after eight races.The series was won by Bruce McLaren, the only one of the four race winning drivers who attended all eight races, a trifecta of wins in New Zealand setting up the...

Tasman Series
Tasman Series
The Tasman Series was a motor racing series held from 1964 to 1975, in Australia and New Zealand, and named after the Tasman Sea between the two countries...

13th Cooper
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...

 T62 Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...

Ecurie Australie
1964
1964 Australian Drivers' Championship
The 1964 Australian Drivers' Championship was open to drivers of Racing Cars complying with either the Australian National Formula or with the Australian 1½ Litre Formula.The title was contested over a five round series....

Australian Drivers' Championship
Australian Drivers' Championship
The Australian Drivers' Championship is a motor racing championship which has been contested annually since 1957 by drivers of cars complying with Australia's premier open-wheeler racing category as determined by the Confederation of Australian Motor Sport. Since 2005 this category has been Formula...

2nd Cooper
Cooper Car Company
The Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...

 T62 Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...


Brabham BT4 Climax
Coventry Climax
Coventry Climax was a British forklift truck, fire pump, and speciality engine manufacturer.-History:The company was started in 1903 as Lee Stroyer, but two years later, following the departure of Stroyer, it was relocated to Paynes Lane, Coventry, and renamed to Coventry-Simplex by H...

Ecurie Australie
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