It’s lonely at the top for Will Davison.
Thanks to a solid weekend of results at the V8 Supercars round in Auckland, Davison on Sunday leapt to the top of the championship ahead of Holden rival Jamie Whincup.
But he’s the only Ford driver in the top 10.
Davison is swamped by Commodore VF drivers after a dismal weekend from his teammate Mark Winterbottom.
On Sunday, in the third of four races, the 30-year-old Davison scored a rare win for Ford at Pukekohe Park Raceway.
It was just the second win for a Ford driver in 24 attempts at the circuit on the southern edge of the city and the manufacturer’s first of the season.
Davison finished second, fifth and seventh in the other races and his consistency was in stark contrast to defending series champion Whincup.
While also notching his first victory of the season on Saturday, Whincup was third in the final race but two finishes in 26th spot meant Davison jumped ahead by 31 points in the standings.
“I’m thrilled with the weekend and the progression we’ve made,” said Davison.
“We’ve had a lot of Ford fans asking questions – it’s been a bit of a Holden whitewash so far.
“It’s good that we’re showing such promise. There are some very encouraging signs for the (Ford Performance Racing) team.”
Davison doesn’t want to entertain thoughts of ending Whincup’s dominance and lifting the trophy in December.
“I found myself in this position last year – three rounds in and everyone is talking about the championship,” he said.
“So much can change so quickly. But it’s definitely encouraging.
“I expected these first few rounds to be tough for us. (But) we’ve had a nice clean run.”
Although Winterbottom was one of the quickest over the weekend, some risky moves and blown tyres combined for a disappointing event.
He failed to cross the line in the top 10 and slipping to 11th in the standings.