In the third of a series of meet the Pinkney Motorsport team features, it’s time to chat
with number one mechanic Ross Davis…



Q:
First up Ross, fill us in on what your role is with the team?

Ross Davis:
My role is number one mechanic and general dogsbody!

Q:
So what exactly does the role of number one mechanic encompass?

Ross Davis:
Basically I am the person in overall charge of the car and need to make sure that everything is as it should be, that nothing falls off and that the car is reliable.

Q:
You are one of two guys within the team who joined Pinkney Motorsport from Triple Eight, so what does that mean you can bring to the team?

Ross Davis:
This is my fourth year with the Vectra now so I have been with it since it was born back in 2007. I know the car inside out and worked with the other guy who made the move, Chris, in 2008. We are a good partnership who know the car and can get through most of the things that are thrown at us!

It’s a bit of a challenge this year working with Dave; I’ve never worked with anyone quite like him before! So far, it’s been really good fun, the guys we work with are all good blokes and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season.

Q:
How different is it to go from working with a big manufacturer team like Vauxhall to working with a smaller privateer team?

Ross Davis:
The thing with Vauxhall is that we had a multi-million pound budget and you could have pretty much anything you wanted. Going to a smaller private team, you still get the bits and pieces you need, but the budgets are lower and there are certain restrictions that you have to work to.

You do have to rein yourself in slightly more and keep an eye on what you are doing and where you are spending money. I do get reined in quite frequently by Andrew and sometimes we need to have a bit of a discussion over where to spend money and where not to spend money, but it’s completely different to be being with a manufacturer.

Q:
You previously worked on the car when it had an S2000 engine in it. Now it’s fitted with the NGTC engine so mechanically, what impact does that have on your work? Does it change anything?

Ross Davis:
There is still the same amount of thought and preparation involved with the car, but with the new engine, we are still working with Swindon on installation bits and pieces and on various other things. But there is the same amount of preparation going into the car as there was last year and maybe even a little bit more to be honest.

The S2000 installation was slightly different so we are still getting our heads round a few installation issues. The costs have been cut dramatically with this new engine but there is still a lot of work to do to get it where we want it to be. We’re getting there slowly but it’s taking time.

Q:
People can see what you are doing on a race weekend when you are busy working on the car, but what do you typically do between races?

Ross Davis:
On a Monday morning, the car will come back to the workshop and we’ll assess any damage that was picked up over the course of the weekend. We’ll look at how much time we have between races, so when the car arrives, it will be stripped back completely to its shell. The front end will come off, the rear end will come off, the fuel tank will come out and so will the exhaust and the rear subframe. The inside of the car will generally stay as it is and will get a bit of a wipe over and we’ll then check it for any cracks or things like that.

The following days, you’ll strip down the front and rear end. If there has been no accident damage and nothing is bent, you’ll give it all a wipe over and clean it up so you can put it back together. The gearbox gets stripped and rebuilt, the driveshafts will be stripped and rebuilt depending on how many miles they have done and whether it has been dry or wet, and then it all goes back together for the following week if it is a two-week turnaround.

Then we set up again and are back out racing, so it pretty busy for two people.

Q:
You could face any number of problems on a race weekend and we’ve already seen you have to have the engine out at Brands Hatch this season to work on the gearbox.

What’s the worst case scenario for you when the car comes back into the pits? Is it an accident and body damage to the car or is it something mechanical?

Ross Davis:
It could be any number of things! The biggest challenge is probably if Dave knocks a corner off the car or if we have to do an engine change. Because we don’t have the budgets of a works team, the spare engine is just a bare spare engine. It isn’t built up on a subframe ready to go, so it will take a couple of good blokes around two and a half to three hours to do an engine change – so that is probably the biggest thing for us. Touch wood we won’t need to do that though as the engines are pretty bulletproof!

It was unfortunate for Jordan and his team at Oulton that they couldn’t get out in time for qualifying and they probably would have made it if they’d had another ten minutes. I did go down to help them but it was in vain as they just ran out of time.

Q:
People see how quickly you guys work on the cars and fix them up, so they might wonder why it takes so long for a service when they go to the garage….

Ross Davis:
Some people work slower than others! To be fair, we’ve worked on this car for four years so it’s like our baby; you know what to do and what not to do. You know what tools to use and you are just like a robot when it comes to working on the car.

People look at it and say ‘That looks difficult to do’ but it isn’t. They are simple cars to work on, some of the simplest I’ve worked on to be honest. But you have to do it in a certain amount of time so that is always in the back of you mind – and we don’t get an overtime bonus!

Q:
You say the Vectra is one of the simplest cars you have worked on, but what is the best car you’ve worked with?

Ross Davis:
This is probably one of the best to be honest. You also have to think about the people around you as well. It isn’t just about being at the circuit but is also about going out on a night and the way you interact with the team around you. I probably spend more time with these blokes that I do with any of my mates or my family! You have to get on and be in a good working environment.

Q:
A few more general questions for you. What is your favourite circuit on the calendar?

Ross Davis:
Silverstone because it is near my house and I don’t have to travel far to get there!

Q:
If you were taking over from Dave behind the wheel, what would be your favourite then?

Ross Davis:
Oulton Park is a good circuit. It’s very picturesque and I do like it there. I like Silverstone as well because of the British Grand Prix and all the history that there is. It is a nice venue with big garages and lots of space. I know no-one likes Knockhill because it is so far away but the dips and bumps there are great and its good to watch it on TV as well with the cars being thrown around a lot.

Q:
And finally, if David Pinkney wasn’t a racing driver, what would he be?

Ross Davis:
President of the United States!

Q:
Any reason why? We’ve already had a suggestion that he could be Prime Minister….

Ross Davis:
President is better than Prime Minister and I’m sure Dave would agree. He wouldn’t settle for Prime Minister, he’d want to be the President!