Lex Davison

Lex Davison
Nationality Australian
Born 12 February 1923(1923-02-12)
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Died 20 February 1965(1965-02-20) (aged 42)
Sandown Raceway, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Related to Jon Davison (son)
Richard Davison (son)
Alex Davison (grandson)
Will Davison (grandson)
James Davison (grandson)
Australian Drivers' Championship
Years active 1957-64
Teams Ecurie Australie
Wins 11
Best finish 1st in 1957 Australian Drivers' Championship
Previous series
1964-65 Tasman Series
Championship titles
1954
1957
1958
1961
Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix
Australian Grand Prix

Alexander Nicholas Davison (12 February 1923 – 20 February 1965)[1] was a racing driver who won the Australian Grand Prix four times between 1954 and 1961 and won the Australian Drivers' Championship in 1957. He drove HWM-Jaguar, Ferrari, Aston Martin and Cooper-Climax grand prix cars.[2]

Davison won Class A of the 1960 Armstrong 500 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 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 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[3] at Sandown International Raceway. While accelerating through the dog leg of the back straight in his 2.5L Brabham Climax 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, Will Davison and James Davison.

Drivers who win the Australian Grand Prix 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). This trophy, designed and made in Britain by Mr Rex Hays to the order of CAMS, incorporates a silver model of the Austin 7 driven to victory in the first Australian Grand Prix in 1928.[4]

Career results

Season Series Position Car Team
1957 Australian Drivers' Championship 1st Ferrari 625 F1
1958 Australian Drivers' Championship 5th Ferrari 500
1960 Australian Drivers' Championship 4th Aston Martin DBR4
1961 Australian Drivers' Championship 2nd Aston Martin DBR4
1962 Australian Drivers' Championship 6th Cooper T53 Climax
1963 Australian Drivers' Championship 4th Cooper T62 Climax
1964 Tasman Series 13th Cooper T62 Climax Ecurie Australie
1964 Australian Drivers' Championship 2nd Cooper T62 Climax
Brabham BT4 Climax
Ecurie Australie

Notes

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Doug Whiteford
Winner of the Australian Grand Prix
1954
Succeeded by
Jack Brabham
Preceded by
Inaugural
Winner of the Australian Drivers' Championship
1957
Succeeded by
Stan Jones
Preceded by
Stirling Moss
Winner of the Australian Grand Prix
1957 (with Bill Patterson)
and 1958
Succeeded by
Stan Jones
Preceded by
Alec Mildren
Winner of the Australian Grand Prix
1961
Succeeded by
Bruce McLaren