Davis will be one of a host of the region’s best drivers taking the unique track in the series’ heats on Sunday, February 3, with the finals locked in for the club’s Family Day the following week.

It’s the third time OHRC’s Carnival of Cups series will be held at Towac Park since the club shifted bases from its old Perc Griffith Way home, and three years on Davis says the grass still presents a fascinating ride for drivers.

“It would have to be one of the only – if the only – grass track in the country, and you always go anti-clockwise but due to a trick of the track at Towac you go clockwise,” Davis explained. 

“It doesn’t change too much but there are some horses that love it and some that don’t.” 

The course is also a shorter run than the usual 1600 or 2200-metre distance.

The Davis team has had success at Towac in the past too, with Bathurst’s Emma Turnbull steering their charge Taylah Studleigh to victory at the Orange track last year.

The mare is likely to return this year too, with Davis explaining his team is looking to run two or potentially three chances next month.

Naturally, he’ll be in the driver’s seat at some point, and has thrown his name into the ring for the club’s battle of the sexes race – a male versus female driver challenge.

He said it was exciting to be lining up alongside A-grade riders such as Codi Rauchenberger, Brittany Graham, Amy Day and more, but wasn’t feeling the pressure to win big on home soil. 

“Not too much, I don’t tend to feel that sort of stuff,” he said. 

Davis has started to become far more well-known around Orange and the region for his exploits in the driver’s seat, rather than for his footballing exploits.

But he confirmed he will also make a return to rugby league in 2019, after a number of years playing in the 15-man code with Orange City he’s linked with the Cargo Blue Heelers for this year’s Woodbridge Cup race.

He said it’s “good to be going back to my roots” having played rugby league his entire life before joining the Lions in 2013, and also has the chance to link with his brother-in-law Anthony Redfern, who will coach Cargo.

Davis has turned out in the Woodbridge Cup before – for the Canowindra Tigers – but admitted he’s not entirely sure what to expect, most of his rugby league days were spent with Bathurst Panthers and Orange Hawks in Group 10’s top tier.

“It’s a tough competition but I haven’t had too much experience with it,” he said.