Davey becomes first Indigenous racer to claim national championship podium finish

Dianne Bortoletto Published August 27, 2025 at 9.30am (AWST)

racing together

Kade Davey finished third in the 2025 Toyota 86 Scholarship Series 5 at the weekend. (Image: supplied)

Racing Together team driver Kade Davey has completed his 2025 Toyota 86 Scholarship Series campaign with a history-making performance, clinching third in the overall Series standings.

A descendant of the Mandjindja tribe in the central desert of Western Australia, Davey is the first Indigenous driver to place in the top three positions in a Motorsport Australia national championship or series.

The Toyota 86 Scholarship Series consists of five race meetings, each with three practice runs, one qualifying and three 10 lap races.

The seventeen-year-old qualified in fourth place for Race 1 at The Bend Motorsport Park (South Australia), however, the first race of the weekend ended before it began when Davey was taken out by a fellow competitor, resulting in a DNF for the Racing Together team.

Sunday provided a fresh opportunity with Davey producing one of the most impressive recovery drives of the season.

Starting Race 2 from the back of the grid in 32nd place Davey stormed through the field, climbing 22 positions to finish in the top ten.

In the final race of the season he finished in second place, just 0.6s behind Seiders Racing's Jordan Freestone, which sealed his eighth podium of the season.

"Third overall in the championship is an awesome result for Racing Together and myself in our first year in the '86 Scholarship Series," Davey said.

"I felt confident going into the weekend. I liked where we positioned ourselves in the championship running into the last round. I was [pretty] excited.

"I haven't been in championship contention before, even in karting. It was a cool opportunity.

"I've still got the GR Cup with three rounds left. I'm also looking forward to Bathurst coming up. Top three in our first campaign for a team is pretty big."

Kade Davey (image supplied) — *Kade Davey (Image: supplied)*

Davey is forging a path for younger Indigenous drivers to follow in Australian motorsport categories with the backing of major allies in the racing community.

"There's no one better than Paul [Morris], Declan [Fraser] and the people who've raced before, I can talk to them about their experience and it's cool to relate to them," Davey said.

"They give me tips on what they learned when they first started.

"It's something I've always dreamed of, getting a result like that [top three in the Series]. I wouldn't be here without Racing Together. It's great to get a good result for the team.

"As a young Indigenous driver, getting that first result was a highlight for me. It's something I've been working towards most of my life.

"First in karting, then Excels, and now 86s. It means a lot and gives me confidence going into the GR Cup and moving up the ranks."

With the Toyota 86 Scholarship Series wrapped up, the focus now shifts to the team's next outing at the Mountain during Bathurst 1000 weekend on October 9-12, where Racing Together and Davey will look to build on momentum of their breakthrough season.