{{Short description|British racing driver}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}} {{Use British English|date=May 2015}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Toby Davis | image = | imagesize = | caption = | nationality = British | birth_place = Hereford, Herefordshire | relatives = | current_series = Volkswagen Racing Cup | first_year = 2016 Volkswagen Racing Cup | current_team = Team HARD | car_number = 34 | starts = 37 | wins = 2 | poles = 1 | prev_series = British Superkart Championship }}
'''Toby Davis''' is a racing driver from Great Britain, who grew up in Much Marcle, Herefordshire. Toby won a scholarship in 2016, put on by Tony Gilham, which enabled him to start his racing career.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.team-hard.com/td34-is-back-for-title-assault-with-team-hard/|title=TD34 is back for title assault with Team HARD.|date=8 March 2018|website=www.team-hard.com|access-date=22 December 2022}}</ref>
==Karting career== Davis made his karting debut in 2006, entering in the club championship for Junior TKM, held at Little Rissington. A successful 2007 season saw him finish 3rd in the championship, leading to an upgrade to the F250 National gearbox kart championship in 2008. In 2009, Davis made his long circuit debut at Oulton Park, coming away with 3rd overall in his first ever event. Having finished in the top 15 in his first season in the championship, podiums would follow in 2010 and he ended up vice-champion in the F250 Challenge to his brother, Ben.
From 2011 until 2016, Davis was supported by the factory Viper Racing outfit, leading to multiple race wins and a series of top 5 championship finishes, despite continual budget issues. In 2013, he was the British MSA Superkart Grand Prix champion.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.herefordtimes.com/sport/10611712.Much_Marcle_driver_Toby_Davis_wins_National_British_Superkart_Grand_Prix/|title=Much Marcle driver Toby Davis wins National British Superkart Grand Prix|website=Hereford Times|access-date=2016-10-08}}</ref>
==Racing career== In winter 2015, Tony Gilham of Team HARD put on his 2nd scholarship competition, open to the public for anyone with little to no car racing experience. Of the 130 men and women who entered, Davis was the chosen winner, for which the prize was a fully funded drive in the UK's VW Racing Cup.<ref name=":0" /> In his first race weekend for Team HARD, at Rockingham, Davis took 5th place in the first race despite qualifying last due to a car gremlin, before winning only his second ever car race.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vwracingcup.co.uk/latest-news/4591562755/YOUNGSTER-DAVIS-SHINES-WITH-%E2%80%98ROCK%E2%80%99-SOLID-WEEKEND/10691369|title=YOUNGSTER DAVIS SHINES WITH ‘ROCK’ SOLID WEEKEND|website=www.vwracingcup.co.uk via web.archive.org|author=Bowdrey, Karl|date=1 May 2016|access-date=22 December 2022|archive-date=9 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009182823/http://www.vwracingcup.co.uk/latest-news/4591562755/YOUNGSTER-DAVIS-SHINES-WITH-%E2%80%98ROCK%E2%80%99-SOLID-WEEKEND/10691369|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> A difficult race weekend at Oulton Park was followed by 2nd on the grid for Silverstone on the Grand Prix layout, despite having never driven the car in the wet before this session. Davis went on to take a podium in the rain-soaked race later in the day.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vwracingcup.co.uk/latest-news/4591562755/HOUSE-TAKES-OPENING-RACE-WIN-BEFORE-WEATHER-CONDITIONS-HAMPER-WEEKENDS-RUNNING/10767778|title=HOUSE TAKES OPENING RACE WIN BEFORE WEATHER CONDITIONS HAMPER WEEKENDS RUNNING|website=www.vwracingcup.co.uk via web.archive.org|author=Bowdrey, Karl|date=12 June 2016|access-date=22 December 2022|archive-date=3 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160903000540/http://www.vwracingcup.co.uk/latest-news/4591562755/HOUSE-TAKES-OPENING-RACE-WIN-BEFORE-WEATHER-CONDITIONS-HAMPER-WEEKENDS-RUNNING/10767778|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref>
At his first visit to Spa-Francorchamps in Belgium, Davis took 5th and 9th places (despite leading at one point in race 2), before heading to Snetterton, where he took a 9th place and a DNF due to a progressively declining mechanical issue.
At Donington Park, Davis took both available pole positions, again in inclement conditions. In race 1, he narrowly missed out on the win due to a safety car interrupting a 3-second lead.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=http://www.vwracingcup.co.uk/latest-news/4591562755/CHAMPIONSHIP-HEATS-UP-AS-WITTS-WINS-TWICE-TO-CLOSE-THE-CHAMPIONSHIP-LEAD/10895964|title=CHAMPIONSHIP HEATS UP AS WITTS WINS TWICE TO CLOSE THE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD|website=www.vwracingcup.co.uk via web.archive.org|author=Bowdrey, Karl|date=11 September 2016|access-date=22 December 2022|archive-date=9 October 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161009182541/http://www.vwracingcup.co.uk/latest-news/4591562755/CHAMPIONSHIP-HEATS-UP-AS-WITTS-WINS-TWICE-TO-CLOSE-THE-CHAMPIONSHIP-LEAD/10895964|url-status=bot: unknown}}</ref> In race 2, he showed his inexperience by over-correcting a slide at the Old Hairpin, collecting the tyre barriers and ending his race. In race 3, the hastily repaired car was no match for his rivals, and despite defending hard from those around him, 6th place was all he could manage.<ref name=":1" />
At the final round at Brands Hatch, Davis didn't start race 1 due to a technical gremlin. Starting from the back in race 2, he came through the field with a strong opening lap to finish 5th. Starting 7th on the grid in the finale, he again came through the field to finish 3rd and take his final podium of the season.
==Racing record==
===Career summary=== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%; text-align:center" ! Season ! Series ! Team ! Races ! Wins ! Poles ! F/Laps ! Podiums ! Position |- ! 2009 |align=left| British Superkart Championship | align="left" | Davis Racing |7 | 0 |0 | 0 |0 |13th |- ! 2010 | align="left" | British Superkart Championship | align="left" |Davis Racing |6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |12th |- ! 2011 | align="left" | British Superkart Championship | align="left" | Davis Racing with Viper Racing UK |6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4th |- ! 2012 | align="left" | British Superkart Championship | align="left" | Davis Racing with Viper Racing UK |6 |1 |1 |2 |4 | style="background:#ffdf9f;"| '''3rd''' |- ! 2013 | align="left" | British Superkart Championship | align="left" | Davis Racing with Viper Racing UK |6 |2 |0 |1 |3 | 4th |- ! 2014 | align="left" | British Superkart Championship | align="left" | Davis Racing with Viper Racing UK |6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5th |- ! 2015 | align="left" | British Superkart Championship | align="left" | Davis Racing with Viper Racing UK |6 |0 |1 |1 |4 | style="background:#ffdf9f;"| '''3rd''' |- ! rowspan="2" | 2016 | align="left" | British Superkart Championship | align="left" | Davis Racing with Viper Racing UK |6 |0 |0 |0 |3 | 6th |- | align="left" | British VW Racing Cup | align="left" | Team HARD |15 |1 |1 |0 |4 |7th |- !2017 | align="left" | British VW Racing Cup | align="left" | Team HARD |8 |0 |0 |1 |0 |17th |- !2018 | align="left" | British VW Racing Cup | align="left" | Team HARD |14 |1 |0 |1 |5 |7th |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== *{{DriverDB driver|toby-davis-6542807}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Toby}} Category:1991 births Category:Living people Category:English racing drivers Category:Sportspeople from Hereford Category:21st-century English sportsmen