Davison determined to push past devastation

UPDATE: AfterErebus Motorsport protested the first-lap incident between Will Davison and James Courtney being labelled a 'racing incident' yesterday, this morning's stewards hearing, the protest has been dismissed.

Erebus will look for redemption on the racetrack this afternoon, with Davison pushing to claim the podium finish he feels he had robbed from him yesterday, when a first-lap incident involving James Courtney left him buried in the pack and furious.

Davison's Erebus E63 launched into third off the start, but was turned around at the hairpin after contact from Courtney, who went on to finish third in the first race at the Tyrepower Tasmania SuperSprint.

For the developing Erebus team - which is working hard behind the scenes to make improvements - a podium finish would have meant a lot, and Davison will be pushing to deliver it today at a track they've proven strong.

"It'd be awesome," Davison said of a podium result in today's race.

"I'm really pumped, really determined ...I think we can use our speed, our tyre life, because we do have an advantage over a few of those cars and I think if we can get ourselves into position we can certainly challenge for the podium. And if I got a sniff at it I'll be going at it, that's for sure."

While Davison said he wouldn't usually get so worked up after an incident, so much promise slipped away yesterday. His last podium result was Townsville last year, and Davison hasn't scored a race win since moving to Erebus at the start of 2014.

"A podium's huge for us now," he told v8supercars.com.au.

"I was already thinking this is awesome, and next thing you're backwards and watching the whole field go past.

"And we worked so hard to get back on the second row of the grid and, what, two corners it lasted? For someone who's leading the championship who's a quality championship driver [Courtney] to do that ... you don't expect that. You expect that in 19th position or something, but up the front generally everyone's smart and good."

Davison suggested the regular front runners didn't want to see his E63 up there, another contender to fight with for championship points.

"Our Benz is here and they probably don't like it in front of them, because we're the underdogs and we're getting it up there, we're upsetting them and I don't understand it," he said.

"It happens, it's racing, but who's at fault is what annoys me. I'm certainly not."

The incident occurred at the notorious turn four hairpin yesterday, with a concertina effect seeing Courtney nudged from behind and into Davison.

While Davison was "over" the carry on between him and Courtney - the HRT driver told him to go have a cry, while Davison called him arrogant and pathetic in an interview shortly after - he was still mystified at the call by Bargwanna and believes he has been handed penalties for minor things.

"In principle I wouldn't mind it being explained how you can get away with that," Davison said.

"I probably wouldn't be so upset if he [Courtney] didn't carry on like the way he did - he's obviously a very smart racer so I don't know why he does even do that - but I'm completely over it, life goes on.

"But I'm miffed in the decision process - absolutely blown away."

While he described the loss as shattering for Erebus, Davison praised the work they had done and was focused on pressing on for today's 200km race, one that will be ruled by both speed and strategy.

"We're certainly in that top four in car speed, I really do believe," he said.

"We had a solid [second] race and I was quicker than the cars in front, so I have to qualify well again and with some strategy in it, I'm actually really confident we've got a really fast car. So it's all good...

"If we can qualify in the front two rows again we'll be in with a really good shot with the pit stops and everything else that's going to play out."

Davison finished seventh in yesterday's second race and current sits 23rd in the Championship points after a disappointing start to the season in Adelaide at the Clipsal 500.

His last pole position was at the final event of 2015, the Sydney 500.