Veteran Davison joins exclusive group

With victory in the ITM Auckland SuperSprint opener, Will Davison joined a very exclusive group.

Davison became just the 26th driver in ATCC/Supercars history to win after turning 40.

The Shell V-Power Racing Team driver celebrated his 40th birthday late last month.

Davison denied Andre Heimgartner in a thrilling race, with the two-time Bathurst winner taking his third win of 2022.

The most recent driver before Davison to win at age 40 was Garth Tander, who won the 2020 Bathurst 1000 at 43.

A year earlier, Tander won on the Gold Coast, both wins coming alongside Shane van Gisbergen.

Davison is now one of three drivers over 40 on the grid, alongside James Courtney (42) and Mark Winterbottom (41).

Courtney and Winterbottom haven’t won since 2016, but will join the group should they win again.

Davison is somewhat of a late bloomer; eight of his 22 wins have come after his 30th birthday.

Seven drivers have won a championship after turning 40.

Bowe won the 1995 title at age 41; Johnson won his fifth and last title at 44.

Richards won the 1990 and 1991 titles after turning 40; he won the 1987 title at 39, and turned 40 three months later.

Jane won the 1971 and 1972 titles after turning 41; Moffat won the 1983 title just before he turned 44.

Francevic was a late bloomer, winning his five races and 1986 title after turning 42.

Ingall was 41 before his 2005 title campaign began, and only won two races that season.

Most wins after turning 40

20: John Bowe17: Dick Johnson15: Peter Brock13: Craig Lowndes11: Jim Richards8: Mark Skaife, Larry Perkins7: Allan Moffat, Bob Jane, George Fury5: Alan Jones, Robbie Francevic3: Russell Ingall, Jason Bright, Allan Grice, Steven Richards2: Garth Tander, Colin Bond, Kevin Bartlett, Steve Owen1: Tony Longhurst, Paul Morris, Warren Luff, John Harvey, Mika Salo, Will Davison

What about 50?

Only three drivers - Brock, Richards and Alan Jones - won races after turning 50.

Incredibly, Brock and Jones won their final races on the same day.

Brock won seven races after he turned 50 in 1995.

The nine-time Bathurst winner won a race at his final round before full-time retirement at Oran Park in 1997.

Later, 1981 Formula 1 champion Jones won, the victory coming three months before his 51st birthday.

In 2002, Richards won his seventh and final Bathurst at the ripe old age of 55.

That record still stands, and is unlikely ever to be broken.

Johnson was close; his 30th and final race win, a 1995 Bathurst sprint, came six weeks before his 50th.

Davison will get a two more chances to add to his 22 career wins on Sunday.