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Ronnie Davis Enjoys Being in
a Familiar Spot
PITTSBORO, N.C. (January 25, 2016): For the eighth time in his illustrious
career Ronnie Davis will spout the number one and reign as Top Sportsman
Champion. By capturing the 2015 PDRA MagnaFuel Top Sportsman World Championship,
Davis earned his eighth divisional or national level championship across three
organizations (PDRA, IHRA, NHRA).
At the PDRA World Finals at Virginia Motorsports Park in October of 2015, Davis
had what he calls a “clean sweep” by winning the event and securing the World
Championship in the same weekend. Amazingly, this wasn’t the first time this
happened for the owner of Davis Golf Cart Sales.
“In 2010 I was third in NHRA Division 2 points going into the last race of the
year we could claim,” storied Davis. “I believe Billy Vaughn was leading points
and Jeff Pittman was second. I don’t think anybody gave me a chance since I was
in third place. My strategy for that race was to qualify number one and get a
bye first round if there was one and then win the race. I figured the points
out, if I won the race I would win the championship by one point. I qualified
number one, drove good and won the race. I beat Billy Vaughn for the
championship by one point.
“So that was the first time I ever won the race and the championship in the same
weekend. Winning the PDRA World Championship was my main focus in 2015, and
something I really wanted. Racing in a 16 car really fast field is what it’s all
about to me and I love it. It’s Top Sportsman's baddest of the bad.
“My main objective [at Virginia] was
to win the World Championship. Since I'm not getting any younger, I felt like I
really needed to pull that off. I really wanted to win the race because it was
the Brian Olson Memorial Race. He and I had grown very close over the last three
or four years, and I wanted to honor his memory with a win. I also wanted to get
the monkey off my back from that track, because I've never done well there.
Clinching the World Championship and winning the race in the same weekend was
pretty cool for me.”
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Although his year ended in incredible
fashion, the road to his eighth
championship wasn’t a walk in the
park. Two key back to back wins in
Shreveport, Louisiana and St. Louis,
Missouri almost didn’t happen.
“I think it was second round of
Shreveport I had a lifter start going
out,” Davis told. “I was going to
replace it but time didn’t allow for
that, so I kept checking the valve
lash and keeping it tight. I limped
through and made it to the final. When
I did the burnout it was squeaking so
loud you could hear it over the
engine. I saw Todd Tutterow started
making the it's broke motion. I had
oil pressure and ran anyway and got
the win.
“Then I went on to win the Mid America
Nationals. We got completely rained
out on Saturday and the PDRA decided
to give us one last shot Sunday
morning. Well Sunday the air was
killer and track was cold and tight,
so I shook my teeth out [in our last
qualifying session]. I knew I wasn’t
going to get down the track in those
conditions with the tune up I had in
it and had to do something, knowing I
couldn't win a round if I didn't go A
to B. So I went back to the trailer
and looked at a run I had made at the
Gators with a small tune up in it. I
call that an A-B tune up, not fast but
consistent. I took the eighth mile
part of that run and dialed my car off
of that. I was number one qualifier
with a 4.01 but I dialed up to a 4.27.
I don’t think anyone thought I could
win since I'm used to spotting not
getting spotted. I was .00 on the tree
3 of my 4 runs, and I ran close to
dead on almost every round that race.”
Davis accepted his Championship at the
PDRA Awards December 12, but his
accolades weren’t over yet.
That evening he was also voted
Sportsman Driver of the Year.
“I never gave it a thought about who
would win driver of the year. It was
very humbling to be voted Driver of
the year by my peers. You win the last
race of the year, you win the most
races, you win the Championship, you
win Driver of the Year, and I started
thinking this may be a good time to
retire. I had been saying for about
five years I was ready to hang it up
and go hunting and fishing. My
daughters said, ‘If you ever wanted to
quit, now’s the time to do it when
you’re on top.’”
His answer to that? A brand new car.
Davis says he’s “to stubborn to
retire” and in his race shop he has a
new Larry Jeffers ‘63 Vette, his 2015
Championship winning Tommy Mauney ‘63
Vette and his 2010 NHRA Championship
winning Tommy Mauney ‘63 Vette. With
three complete race ready ‘63 Vettes,
it doesn't sound like he's retiring
any time soon.
“I’m looking forward to the 2016 PDRA
race season and defending my
championship,” Davis ended. “I’m a
huge supporter of the PDRA, and will
do anything I can for them.”
Ronnie Davis Racing greatly
appreciates the support of these fine
companies:
Hoosier Tires, Rock Racing Batteries,
Star E.V. Golf Carts, Hickory Enclosed
Trailers & Race Performance Motor
Coach, CSR Performance Products, VP
Racing Fuels, Moroso Performance
Products, Magnafuel, Braswell
Carburetors, MSD, Abruzzi
Transmissions, Braille Battery, Jon
Kaase Racing Engines, Permatex, Tommy
Mauney Race Cars, Weld Racing, Coan
Converters, NRC Motorhomes, WJ
Enterprises, Rickie Smith Racing,
Lovendahl Racing Solutions, Driveline
Service of Atlanta, Jesel, Hedman
Hedders, Federal-Mogul and Sonnax
Transmission Gears.
ABOUT THE PDRA
Based in Pittsboro, North Carolina,
the Professional Drag Racers
Association is the top sanctioning
body in the United States for the
sport of eighth-mile drag racing. The
PDRA’s professional categories include
Pro Extreme, Pro Nitrous, Pro Boost,
and Pro Extreme Motorcycle along with
Top Sportsman, Top Dragster, Pro Jr.
Dragster, and Top Jr. Dragster. The
2016 PDRA schedule consists of nine
national events. For more on the
world’s premier eighth mile drag
racing organization visit
www.pdra660.com.
Follow the PDRA:
Facebook,
Twitter,
Instagram,
YouTube.
Photo: Gary Rowe / PDRA660.com
PRESS CONTACT: Lisa Collier
Professional Drag Racers
Association
lisa@pdra660.com
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