Following successful late-night surgery, Sebastien Bourdais is on the mend; just not quick enough to run in the 101st Indianapolis 500. Dale Coyne Racing announced that 30-year-old Australian, James Davison will drive Bourdais’ #18 car for the upcoming 500-mile race.
Twitter: .@DaleCoyneRacing announced today that @JD33Davison will replace Sebastien Bourdais in the No. 18 for the #Indy500 https://t.co/l8KnsmWP0F (@IMS)
So who is this mysterious driver slated to sub for Bourdais?
The 30-year-old has raced in many different series, with most of his success in open-wheel racing. He finished second in the driver’s standings in the 2007 Star Mazda Championship and 2009 Indy Lights.
Davison is familiar with DCR and the Indy 500. He tested and raced for DCR in 2013 and 2015. The Australian raced at Mid-Ohio and Sonoma for DCR in 2013 finishing P15 and P18 respectively. Incidentally, while driving the #18 car.
His first Indy 500 experience came with KV Racing Technology in 2014, where he started P28 and finished P16—nine seconds off the lead. In 2015, Davison returned to the 500 and to Dale Coyne Racing. Due to a scheduling conflict with the Pirelli World Challenge, Frenchman Tristan Vautier qualified P21 in Davison’s #19 car for him. Per IndyCar Series rules, the #19 car was moved to the back when Davison started. He finished the race P27 after suffering a mechanical issue after 116 laps.
He also tested for Andretti Autosport in 2011.
The Australian raced in Indy Lights for Schmidt Peterson Motorsports in 2008. Grabbing a pole position, a win at Mid-Ohio, and a second podium in Kentucky. He would finish his first season in the IndyCar feeder series, P9. Davison had more success in his second Indy Lights season in 2009. This time racing for Vision Racing, he would finish second in the championship behind eventual champion JR Hildebrand. With another win at Mid-Ohio, two poles, and four podiums in total, it was the Australian’s best career season finish.
