Davis sisters enjoying success in a sport typically dominated by
men
Sarah and Megan Davis may not be old enough to legally drive yet, but that hasn’t stopped them from racing around the track with the best male drivers.
A couple times each month, the girls and their parents hitch up their trailer and head to the Altamont Motorsports Park in Tracy to compete in the Mini Cup Jr. Stars race.
Their cars are capable of 120 miles per hour, but the racers usually don’t go any faster than 60 on the one-fourth mile track.
Still, their mother Judy was unsure about having her daughters race at such high speeds.
“In the beginning, it was a little nerve racking to watch,” Judy said. “But you get used to it. I still get a little nervous when I watch them.”
Sarah, 16, has been racing for six years, while Megan, 11, just started racing last year. Sarah is currently second in the standings at the Altamont Speedway and said she hopes to win the title.
“That helps me a lot because I have something to concentrate on,” Sarah said.
Sarah and Megan spend a lot of time time together as two of the lone female drivers on the course. There is one other female driver who shares a car with her brother and races with the Davis sisters.
“A lot of the boys feel intimidated, and you feel they don’t want you out there,” Sarah said. “But I just ignore it and show them I am just as good as them by winning races.”
Sarah drives the No. 20 car, while Megan drives No. 36. When Megan is not racing, she keeps busy in the Rancho San Justo Middle School color guard and band. Sarah enjoys playing football and volleyball with friends.
In her first race this year, Sarah won her main event. In her second race, she finished second in her heat and third in the main race. And in the third race, she won her heat and finished third in the main race.
“When I am on the race track, I am usually thinking about trying to get to the front of the pack and not wrecking my car,” Sarah said.
Sarah’s worst wreck occurred during her first year racing. She lost control of the car and it spun out and hit a wall. And Megan was T-boned last year by a car going about 50 mph while she was at a stop.
But both girls escaped with just minor bruises. Even still, they keep coming back.
“I love it,” Sarah said. “If I wasn’t in the sport, I don’t know what I would be doing. I would probably be sitting at home driving my parents nuts.”
The girls usually don’t have any time to practice during the week, but they spend a couple hours before the race practicing.
The cars are painted at Autoline Collision, where Judy works.
“The sport is a little expensive in the beginning,” she said. “But once you have the cars, it’s not that bad. If we do it right, we can rebuild the engines just once a year and change the tires once a year.”
Sarah, who plans on getting her driving permit in May, first got behind the wheel of her grandmother’s Dodge when she was about eight.
Both sisters drive Pontiac Grand Prix cars, but their dad will be updating the cars’ bodies later in the year to Monte Carlos. Sarah has had the same car all six years she has been racing. She can even maintain it – with a little help from her father, Matt.
“I know how to fix most of the stuff,” Sarah said. “I help him change the tires and change the oil and stuff.”
Sarah often offers racing tips to her younger sister.
“She’s had a lot of improvements since last year,” Sarah said. “When she has a slow time or does something wrong, I try to give her pointers with how to get better. I’ve been trying to get her to look ahead of the car instead of looking right in front of the car.”
Sarah said she has never given her sister even a friendly sisterly tap because she would feel bad if she spun out.
“I pass her all the time, but I’ve never hit her,” Sarah said. “Last race we started in the front of the pack together. It is just cool being able to race together.”
Megan, who is currently ninth in points, said shehopes to eventually be able to beat her sister in a race.
“I just try to concentrate on my lines and my speed,” Megan said. “I wanted to try it because my sister was racing and my dad had just stopped racing. Just being out there driving is fun.”
