NCS: Davison's Cup Series Debut at Talladega Turned Down

On Tuesday Spire Motorsports announced that Australian driver James Davison, a five-time Indianapolis 500 starter, would make his NASCAR Cup Series debut this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. On Thursday, however, Spire Motorsports sent out a release that BJ McLeod will instead pilot the No. 77 entry at the 2.66-mile oval.

According to Davison in the release, issued by Spire Motorsports on Thursday, NASCAR reconsidered their approval given that Talladega is a Superspeedway and that there would be no practice ahead of Sunday’s 500-mile event. NASCAR had originally scheduled a practice session prior to the event but rescinded.

“I have been contacted by NASCAR and informed that although I was previously approved to race, they had to reconsider their position on Superspeedways, given there won’t be practice or qualifying prior to Sunday’s race at Talladega,” explained Davison.

Davison will make his NASCAR Cup Series debut for the team one week later at Pocono Raceway.

“I was pumped about the opportunity to take the green flag, but I fully understand and appreciate NASCAR’s position,” Davison later said in the release. “I’m approved to race next weekend at Pocono and equally thrilled to make my series debut there.”

Davison has some previous experience in NASCAR at road courses. He made his NASCAR XFINITY Series debut in 2016 piloting the No. 90 entry owned by Mario Gosselin at Road America. He made three more XFINITY Series starts over the course of 2017 and 2018 with Joe Gibbs Racing also at Road America and Mid-Ohio.