Vision Racing Indy Lights
Both Davison and the Vision Racing Lights team will have a partner in the paddock with which to size up the strong Firestone Indy Lights competition. Just last month, the newly formed Bryan Herta Autosport announced it would enter the Firestone Indy Lights with driver Daniel Herrington via a technical partnership with Vision Racing. Now that partnership has been further extended with Vision Racing's own entry and both teams will operate in cooperation out of Vision Racing's 32,000 square foot facility in Indianapolis, Ind.
"The challenge of the 2009 season has created some new opportunities at Vision Racing," explains Vision Racing Team Owner, Tony George. "While we continue to purse a second entry for our IndyCar Series program, we are planning to take full advantage of our relationship with Bryan Herta and BHA. I have always been a proponent of supporting the development of the Firestone Indy Lights and in particular young drivers. Bryan and I share a desire to establish his program on a firm footing and Vision working with BHA will help accelerate the results we are all looking to achieve."
"Bryan Herta Autosport welcomes the news of Vision Racing's Indy Lights entry," says BHA team owner Bryan Herta who will field an FIL entry in 2009 with driver Daniel Herrington. Both teams had already begun a cooperative partnership for the upcoming season. "This move will further strengthen the relationship between Vision and BHA as it will provide both entries with all the competitive benefits associated with a two car operation. James Davison has already spent some time with us at our shake down test two weeks ago at Firebird (Phoenix, AZ), so I know he will be a great compliment to Daniel Herrington and the groundwork we have already laid for our Indy Lights assault."
"I watch with interest most every Firestone Indy Lights race and think that the combination of James and Daniel, working together with the teams that are being assembled, should prove formidable," added George. "I look forward to sharing more detail around our plans as they develop."
Davison will pilot the team's No. 21 Dallara/Firestone machine for his second season and the team's second go-around in Firestone Indy Lights competition. The native Australian is coming off a rookie season that produced one win (Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course), one pole (Nashville Superspeedway), a second place finish (Kentucky Speedway), three top-five drives, five top-10 finishes and 34 laps led in 15 starts with Sam Schmidt Motorsports.
"I am very excited to join Vision Racing as their Firestone Indy Lights driver in partnership with Bryan Herta Autosport," said 22 year-old Davison. "It was apparent last season that the teams aligned with IndyCar operations showed significant benefits, especially with regards to car speed. The series really went to another level. Although some good results were secured in my rookie season, I was disappointed last year as I felt there were too many that got away while running up front. I feel very fortunate to be working with Lee Dykstra and Bryan Herta, that combined with the resources at Vision Racing, we are out to feature at the forefront come St. Petersburg and Long Beach."
Vision Racing has made 23 starts in Firestone Indy Lights, all in 2005, with four drivers. The team's best result was a second place finish with Nick Bussell , with four other third-place finishes by both Bussell and Jay Drake. Those two combined for seven additional top-five finishes as well. Phil Giebler filled in for one race at Watkins Glen, while Ed Carpenter had one start in the No.9 Vision Indy Lights entry on the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course during the course of the F1 Grand Prix weekend in 2005.
Davison will take to the track for the first time in the Vision Racing Indy Lights No .21 Dallara machine next week at Homestead-Miami Speedway for the Indy Racing League Open Test along with Bryan Herta Autosport No. 28 entry driven by Daniel Herrington. Davison officially becomes the team's fifth Firestone Indy Lights driver when he takes the grid for the season opening races on the Streets of St. Petersburg on April 4-5.