WHEN it comes to pressure, there was a fair bit on the shoulders of youngster Brodie Davis last Saturday night, as he was making his 410 Sprintcar debut, running with one of the country’s top teams and venturing to the Sydney International Speedway track for the first time, but he took it all in his stride and was rewarded with an impressive top-10 finish in the feature race. The third-generation racer, who has been a standout in Pro Sprint (360 Sprintcars) competition over the past two years, was brought into the Bill Mann-owned team for a cameo appearance aboard the Qld # 16 Queensland Speedway Spares supported car normally driven by Cody Maroske. However, despite the pressure that was on him, the goal from the outset for Davis was to mainly just complete the whole night and bring the car home in one piece. Well…not only did he achieve that, but he also came home with a feature-race finish inside the top 10. “It was a fantastic opportunity to get my first taste of 410 Sprintcar racing and I’m very grateful to car owner Bill Mann and crew chief Adam Bylsma for believing in me. I’m glad that I was able to thank them the best possible way by bringing home a strong result,” expressed the 21-year-old, who currently resides in Brisbane but grew up in the North Queensland town of Mareeba. “Driving a 410 Sprintcar is an amazing experience, and at the beginning of the night, it took a bit for me to get used to, but as the night wore on, the more comfortable I started to become. The team and I really got going in the feature race and the whole team was very pleased with how the night went.” After spending hot laps and qualifying sessions and his heat race adjusting to the Qld # 16 Queensland Speedway Spares backed car, where he finished seventh in both his qualifying group and heat race, Davis had to qualify via the B main in order to transfer into the feature race. In the B main, he used it as an opportunity to obtain more vital track time, and at the finish of the 15-lap event, he ended up second and booked a spot into the feature race. Starting from position 20 in the feature race, Davis made a great start and immediately moved to the top of the track. After only five laps, Davis was challenging for a spot in the top 10 before a caution moved him back to 11th. Following the restart while battling for another place in heavy traffic, evasive action was required to avoid a collision resulting in him spinning out in between turns one and two. Showing maturity beyond his years, Davis took his place at the tail of the field for the restart and kept his cool by working his way back inside the top 10 during the second half of the race and went on to greet the chequered flag in 10th. “To be able to bring home a top-10 finish the way I did, especially after being forced to go to the rear mid race, is a very satisfying achievement, and in all honestly, it was just a huge honour to get the chance to make my 410 Sprintcar debut with one of the country’s top teams,” concluded Davis. The next outing for Davis will see him return to the Leigh Holman-owned # 51 NQ Racing team Pro Sprint at Mareeba Speedway and Cairns Speedway for their 2024 season in North Queensland, along with the upcoming Queensland Pro Sprint Title at Maryborough Speedway on June 22. To find out more about Davis and his team and to follow their racing activities, LIKE them on Facebook by searching Brodie Davis Racing or 51NQ Racing.