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Davison's Bathurst deal dilemma

Will Davison says he struggled to entertain offers of a Bathurst 1000 drive after losing his full-time Supercars seat.

Will Davison, Tickford Racing, Cameron Waters, Tickford Racing

Will Davison, Tickford Racing, Cameron Waters, Tickford Racing

Tickford

The 38-year-old was dumped from Tickford Racing's four-car line-up through no fault of his own earlier this season, after the backing for his entry ran dry thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The shock turn of events immediately made the two-time Bathurst 1000 winner a top draft pick for a Great Race co-driver role.

But while the phone calls started straight away, Davison admits he wasn't quite ready to take them at the time.

Instead he needed time to make peace with losing his full-time ride, before assessing his options and re-joining Tickford in a Bathurst-only role.

"I was so overwhelmed with the reality of not being a full-time driver," he told Motorsport.com.

"If I'd missed out on a contract and then had an off-season to think about it, I'd be okay with it.

"But the reality was, I was in such a good position to challenge for the championship. So to then be faced with people ringing me offering me Bathurst drives... as appreciative as I was, I just couldn't get my head around it for a little bit.

"I just needed to take stock and take a bit of time to settle and accept what had happened. Not be bitter, not be a victim. I've been on the right end of situations, I've been on the wrong end, and I hate it when people on the wrong end say 'poor me'.

"So I took stock and at the end of the day, when things started it process, it was natural to continue with Tickford."

Explaining his decision to pair up with Cam Waters for the Great Race, Davison says knowing the Tickford Mustang package was a big plus.

There was also a willingness to maintain certain relationships as he looks to return to a full-time ride next year.

"Some of the offers and some of the opportunities were really appealing, some great one-off opportunities," he said.

"But I had an eye on really doing everything I could in my power to keep my relationship going with Ford, who have supported me all this year. And without having a crystal ball and knowing what's going next year, I wanted to keep relationships going with Tickford too.

"I know the car and Cam is a great young teammate who's coming of age. To watch him progress and grow to another level again this year has been awesome.

"I think it's a win-win, I can be in a familiar team and car, and Tickford has got a really good shot with Cam and all the guys working there so well."

He's not concerned about letting go of the lead driver role this weekend either.

"I'm so respectful and so mindful of what we're up against and the challenge at hand," he added.

"I'm just focused on trying to execute, because it's going to be a full-on battle. Statistics and past results don't mean a huge amount.

"I'm going to sit back and let do what they've been doing. I'll lend my experience and try and drive the wheels off the thing whenever they want me in the car, and not make a mistake.

"It sounds simple, but it's a really hard challenge.

"I'm going there feeling like if we do everything well, we've got a really good shot. I'm already seriously on my toes. I'm feeling really nervous, which is a good thing.

"I feel a huge sense of responsibility being in someone else's car. I don't want to let them down."

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