Davison honours Brede with helmet tribute
Will Davison is paying to tribute to Dale Brede with a helmet tribute at this weekend’s Beaurepaires Sydney SuperNight.
Brede, a former Supercars racer who made six Bathurst starts, recently passed away. He was 48.
The Canberra-born driver's passing prompted a wave of tributes, led by good friend Davison.
Davison and Brede shared a car together in the former’s Bathurst debut in 2004 with Team Dynamik.
Brede rose through the ranks and was runner-up in the 2002 development series.
After car racing, Brede turned to business, and also led Suzuki's factory Australian Superbike programme.
Davison will carry a special tribute sticker to Brede on his race helmet, with the colour scheme designed by Raceart's Tony Edser.
The two-time Bathurst winner will also carry the sticker on the rear windscreen of his #17 Shell V-Power Racing Team Mustang.
The 'Breedy 313’ sticker features Brede’s nickname and favoured number he championed as he took up bikes.
Davison — who was in attendance as Brede was farewelled in Canberra earlier this week — was proud to carry his mate’s memory in Sydney.
“It felt fitting,” Davison told Supercars.com of the tribute.
“I got to spend a bit of time with his family — they loved hearing about the good times.
Pic: AN1 Images
“After car racing, he started club-level racing bikes about 10 years ago, I’d join him on my Ducati.
“He loved it, then he bought the Suzuki Superbike team — he owned that when Josh Waters won the championship.
"He also competed in some Australian Superbike Rounds, memorably finishing on the podium at Phillip Island, where he fitted wets whilst others were on slicks.
"It was his favourite story at parties, how he rode around the outside of his factory riders and heroes at Lukey Heights, casually waving to Waters, Glenn Allerton and Wayne Maxwell, riders he admired so much.
“Motorbike riding became a big thing for him. We spent so many great times together."
While their careers intertwined in Supercars, culminating in Bathurst 2004, Davison and Brede forged a strong friendship away from the track.
They shared their love of motorcycles together, with Brede’s highlight overseeing a Superbike title for Suzuki and Josh Waters — cousin of Supercars driver Cam — in 2017.
In recent years, Brede was based in Queensland and worked with veteran Supercars co-driver Warren Luff as a Movie World stunt driver.
“There’s a strong network of people that loved him — he was the most likeable, loveable larrikin,” Davison continued.
“But he was a great racer, very smart, a great businessman, a very good networker.
“When you think of Breedy, you think of good times and a big smile. He was one of the best at managing people and culture.
“We’d spent lots of time together in the last four years as he moved to the Gold Coast. My wedding, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, most weekends. Memories I’ll cherish forever.
“I was struggling to put it on the helmet, but I’m proud to have him riding with me.”
Supercars will hit the track on Saturday in Sydney for Practice 1 at 12:15pm local time/AEST. Tickets are on sale now.
