“2nd place never felt so good.” You would never think you would hear that coming from highly competitive teen race car driver Collete Davis’s, but after not being able to compete in over half of her 2011 races due to funding, you may start to think differently.
Davis, 17 years old, is a Sophomore Mechanical Engineering student at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach, FL while also pursuing a professional career in motor sports. Since she was younger, she’s had gasoline pumping through her veins, working on engines and motors as early as age 11. Collete has been going full throttle ever since she sat in her first racing go-kart and doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon.
During the 2011 season, Davis has been racing a Pro Challenge Mustang along with some other race cars to include: Formula2000, Formula500, and Formula Enterprise car. With the support of her University, Embry-Riddle, she was able to compete in 4 Pro Challenge Mustang races and 2 Formula 500 races.
Davis’s first time in the Pro Challenge Mustang was also to be her first race weekend in the car at Sebring International Raceway, one of the toughest road courses in North America. With a field of over 35 cars, she managed to race her way to number one, passing the last car on the last lap in the last corner of her first race. She went on to win her second race in the car as well, sweeping the field!
Her second race weekend in the car would come a few months later in a different configuration on the same track. Applying all of the knowledge gained from her first weekend, she continued to impress; this time not only winning both races, but lapping the field while she was at it.
“I was much more comfortable in the car my second weekend. I was more familiar with its characteristics and what the car needed from me for us to be fast. The first weekend was about learning the car, the second weekend was more about applying that knowledge and pushing both myself and the car to it’s limit.”
In between dominating the field in a Pro Challenge Mustang, she was able to race a Formula500 car in two races at Daytona International Speedway, placing 5th and 4th place consecutively.
“I had a great time racing at the Speedway, especially since it is literally right in my back yard! Being at a new track with a new car with no seat time before the races, coming home with 2 top 5 finishes felt great.”
After only being able to compete in less than half of the Pro Challenge Mustang races due to funding, she placed 2nd in the overall Championship chase with the points she secured after winning every race she was in.
“I got the call from my team owner, Ron Stanley, and was completely shocked! Not having a full season put together I didn’t even think I’d make the top 5, but points from my wins put me 3 points ahead of 3rd place, making Championship-runner up mine. This really helps give me more momentum going into 2012 to prove that I have what it takes, 2nd place never felt so good. I can’t thank Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University enough for all of their support, as well as my family, Ron Stanley and the hard working crew!“
Collete Davis, who turns 18 this month, is looking at taking her racing career to the next level after her continued success in 2011. This rising star plans on making her pro debut in 2012 and depending on sponsorship, hopes to announce what series she will be competing in over the next few months.
To learn more about Collete Davis and her role as a motivational speaker/ambassador for women in engineering and to keep track on her racing ventures, please visit www.ColleteDavisRacing.com and “like” her fanpage at www.Facebook.com/ColleteDavisRacing