Davidson sure of comeback fitness

Sportscar star Anthony Davidson has no concerns about the back injuries he sustained at last year’s Le Mans 24 Hours as he prepares to make his comeback behind the wheel of a racing car this week.

The 33-year-old Briton, who fractured two vertebrae when his Toyota TS010 Hybrid flipped at Le Mans in June 2012, will drive the 8Star Motorsports Coyote-Chevrolet at the official Daytona 24 Hours test, which starts on Friday.

The Briton is scheduled to share the Corvette-bodied car in the US enduro on January 26-27 with Stephane Sarrazin, Nicolas Minassian, Pedro Lamy and team boss Enzo Potolicchio.

Davidson, who has been re-signed by Toyota for its 2013 LMP1 campaign, said: “My back is strong, so I have no worries.

“I have been running and cycling for a while and have been in the Toyota and Mercedes Formula 1 simulators.

“It will be my first time back in a car, so it is going to give me a bit of a work-out before I get going with Toyota.

“It will be a good way to blow the cobwebs away; I can’t wait to get going again.”

Davidson said he is looking forward to the challenge of driving a Daytona Prototype and racing in one of the major sportscar events for the first time.

“I never driven a DP before, but I’ve spoken to enough drivers who have to know that it is going to be a new type of challenge,” he said. “I’m expecting quite a specific car.

“I’m going into the race with my eyes wide open; anything can happen. Maybe I can have some of the beginner’s luck I had at the Sebring 12 Hours when I won with Peugeot [on his debut in 2011].”

Davidson and the other five members of Toyota’s 2012 Le Mans line-up have all been retained for the coming season.

It is expected but still unconfirmed that Toyota will field two cars in the full FIA World Endurance Championship.

Source: http://www.iracing.com/inracingnews/real-world-racing/3rdparty/davidson-sure-of-comeback-fitness

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