With much of the media attention this weekend swirling around the Cup series standouts and our new Daytona 500 Champion, Kevin Harvick and his team.  I as always try to focus more attention on the up-and-comers in the sport that a fan can really fall in love with both on and off the track.  The focus of my column today is Kertus Davis driver of the No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet.  Davis, whose debut for Kevin Harvick Incorporated is here at Fontana this weekend, will share that ride this year with veteran racer Bobby Labonte and our Daytona 500 Champion and co-owner Kevin Harvick.

Kevin Harvick Incorporated announced at the end of last season that it planned to field two Busch series entries full time.  The No. 77 returns as one of those teams carrying primary sponsorship from, Tennessee based, Dollar General stores.  The Dollar General stores boast over 8,200 company-owned outlets with over 64,000 employees.  Kertus Davis was tapped by Kevin Harvick Incorporated for a 13 race schedule in that same No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet this season. 

"Kertus has shown tremendous dedication and determination throughout his racing career," said Kevin Harvick, team co-owner when asked what made Davis a stand out candidate   “He kept their racing operation going, along with his father, because of their passion for the sport.  An effort like theirs didn't go unnoticed by our sponsor Dollar General or KHI."

Humble beginnings reminiscent of old school racers

At age five Kertus Davis spent his time driving his yard kart around a track built by his father in his back yard.  Davis caught the racing bug and began competing in local go-kart events around his hometown of Gaffney, South Carolina. 

“When I was a kid growing up I didn’t have much of a choice, if I wanted to race I had to work on my own cars,” stated Davis

Winning the South Carolina State Karting Championship, second place in the North Carolina State Nationals, and third in the World Karting Association by age 17 Davis had started to make his presence known in racing circles.  In between preparing to compete in all of these events Kertus also worked alongside his father at the family owned go-kart racing business.  Between the ages of 14 and 17 Davis built go-karts to sell as part of that business.

“Growing up I helped my dad with his businesses in between working on cars to go racing with,” said Davis “When I was 16-years-old my dad had to get a full-size semi from Daytona Beach (Fla.) to another location. So, I jumped behind the wheel and drove the semi to the location it needed to be dropped off at.  I told my dad that I could drive anything.”

Kertus, following the more traditional route to a career as a professional racer, spent much of 1998 and 1999 racing Late Model Stock Cars around South Carolina.  Gaining experience at storied tracks such as Greenville Pickens, Myrtle Beach, and Timmonsville South Carolina.  Along with his Late Model racing in 1999 he was able to field an entry in three Hooters Pro Cup events with the first of them coming at an event in Mobile, Alabama.

His first full season in the Hooters Pro Cup series came in 2000 where he competed for Rookie of the Year alongside other notable young talent Jon Wood, Clay Rogers, and Brian Vickers.  Davis Completed his rookie year in the Pro Cup series in 17th position having garnered a number of top ten finishes.  Completing a second full season in 2001 Davis improved his efforts from the previous year by finishing 11^th in the Southern Division championship point standings with eight top ten finishes and qualifying for eight top ten starts. 

Davis learns that skill, experience, and patience are required for a career in NASCAR

 

In 2002 Davis was offered an opportunity to drive an entry within NASCAR’s Busch series, in what may seem to be a foreshadowing of the future, aboard No. 77 Docutech/Gestetner Ford for Moy Racing/Means Racing.  Davis piloted an entry in four other events that season under his family’s racing banner at Davis Racing.  Although he enjoyed his foray into the upper division racing he continued developing his skills.  2003 saw Davis return to USAR Hooters Pro Cup driving for Premier Motorsports.  Proving perseverance pays, Davis earned his first trip to victory lane, with a commanding win having led all bud ten laps of the 250 lap race in Smithton, Pennsylvania.  Davis completed the 2003 USAR season 13^th of 60 competitors in the overall championship standings and 3^rd in the Northern Division. 

After running a limited schedule in both NASCAR Busch series and Hooters Pro Cup in 2004 Kertus Davis readied himself to tackle the 2005 season.  Running 28 of 35 events with limited funding Davis Motorsports competed in the first full season of NASCAR Bush series.   While the Davis Motorsports struggled to find financial backing the team continued to compete with Kertus as driver of the No. 0 Davis Motorsports Chevrolet on a race to race basis.  Davis even spent time preparing cars for Denny Hamlin when the rookie Joe Gibbs Racing driver was unable to do so himself.

“2006 was a tough season for Davis Motorsports, but we made it through,” commented Davis “I feel like I can win, there is no doubt in my mind.”

Kevin Harvick Incorporated Offers Davis Opportunity

Kertus Davis having weathered the storm of his 2006 season, struggling to maintain financial backing to compete week after week, received the call he had been working towards since childhood.  Kevin Harvick Incorporated co-owners, Kevin and DeLana Harvick, announced that Kertus Davis will share the No. 77 Dollar General stores Chevrolet this season.

“It is a privilege to have this opportunity to drive for Kevin Harvick Inc. and Dollar General stores.  It’s up to me now to keep focused mentally and physically and the track performance will speak for itself.  I just gotta pray every day that we have success.”

A grateful Davis has been putting heart and soul into the team as a whole.  Remaining true to his roots, having come up through the ranks by having equal amounts of talent, heart, and a lot of hard work, Davis is found most frequently under a car working just as hard as any other person on the No. 77 team.

“I am at the shop when the guys come into work.  I help out on the car if there is anything that needs to be done,” stated Davis “a lot of people didn’t know that before I started racing in the Busch Series I had my own driver and sponsor, I served as the shop foreman, spotter and tire changer.  I had to wait my turn to drive for my dad’s team…I have literally done almost everything there can be done on a car.”

Davis feels that his experience working on his own ride early in his career has helped him more than anything since he is better able to pin point any problems from the driver’s seat and convey that to his team.  Another benefit to his involvement with Kevin Harvick Inc. and the No. 77 is sharing time this season with top tier talent, Kevin Harvick and Bobby Labonte, as well as having, Craftsman Truck series competitor and NASCAR veteran, Ron Hornaday in the Kevin Harvick Inc. stable of drivers having a wealth of experience with which he can draw on for information.

“In the past, I’ve never really had anyone that I could go and talk to that would give me a straight answer.  I feel that both Labonte and Harvick are trying to help me as a teammate and a driver. I know that at any given point I can go to them for help at the race track,” Davis commented “Ron Hornaday can help me a lot as a driver.  He went to Virginia International Raceway with me in the off-season and he has such a way of explaining the track and how a car should handle.”

Kertus Davis is proof to young talent out on the tracks across the country that if you are able to dream it, have faith in the dream, and do what work it takes to put that dream within reach, driving for a top NASCAR team is possible.  When asked what advice he would offer to young drivers with NASCAR aspirations his advice was simple…

“There is hope and set your goals high.  Young drivers need to know that they can make it in this business as long as they don’t give up. When times are hard, don’t ever quit. Make smart decisions about life on and off the race track."

As I end the interview I have to ask if the pressure of the media has been something that Kertus was somewhat unprepared to handle.

 “Personally I like it, it helps get the story of Kertus Davis out there.  I‘ve always been more involved with the team and the car, and haven’t had much time to pay towards the media.”

Well Mr. Davis I believe that your story is out there now.  Fellow Busch competitors beware I just cannot help but have the feeling that I have just spoken with not only a great competitor but also burgeoning media sweetheart and fan favorite.