The optics of being a family man and sharing a car with an OnlyFans star was enough to put several drivers and teams off signing with Renee Gracie.
But it was never an issue for two-time Bathurst 1000 champion and Supercars veteran Will Davison. The pair will team up in a Ferrari 296 in the Pro-Am class of this year’s GT World Challenge Australia.
This will be Gracie’s fourth season in the GTWC, and like all of her cars since her maiden campaign in 2023, the Ferrari will be wearing a striking blue and white livery of content creation site OnlyFans, of which Gracie is a high-profile producer.
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Her OnlyFans connection meant landing a co-driver was a challenge in itself, and several other teams and sponsors had refused to allow their drivers to partner with her.
Gracie said Davison’s name was among the first to be raised when the search for a possible co-driver commenced in December. From a driving perspective, Davison is a fantastic addition to Gracie’s program – he’s fast, massively experienced and capable of sharing that experience with her.
Race car driver-turned OnlyFans star Renee Gracie. Supplied
But speaking to Wide World of Sports, Gracie conceded his clean-cut “family man” image had her doubting he’d be interested.
“We needed confirmation as soon as possible if he was going to do this,” she said on Friday.
“He stood out to me for those reasons, but he’s also respected, he’s not controversial, his whole family is respected … he has a good head on his shoulders, and he’s got support.
“He’s been in the game for so long and he is someone that aligns with me regardless of my sponsors and everything else I have going on with my OnlyFans and in my personal life.
Gracie will race with Supercars veteran Will Davison. Â Getty
“I am so grateful he can see past all of it. He’s not bothered by it because it’s irrelevant.
“We’re here to go racing, I’m putting together a really strong racing program this year, and he is excited to be a part of this journey with me.”
Davison said Gracie’s background had never been an issue. He and wife Riana – who is Supercars’ lead pit-lane reporter – have known Gracie since she was a girl racing karts.
“At the end of the day, it’s just a sponsorship and an amazing opportunity to go racing,” he told Wide World of Sports.
“There’s not much else to it … her heart and soul is being a racing driver and she’s gone and got herself back into the sport.
“People will blow things up as they weill, but ultimately it’s just the sponsor of a car, and I’m just there as the professional driver to try and help the program.”
It’s the second co-driver role Davison, a veteran of more than 600 Supercars starts, will fill this year. Having been effectively forced into retirement from full-time Supercars competition at the end of last year, Davison was quickly snapped up by Grove Racing to replace Garth Tander as a co-driver for The Bend 500 and Bathurst 1000.
Having driven solo in the Amateur class in her first three campaigns, Gracie’s move into Pro-Am for 2026 brings a fresh challenge – reduced track time because she now has to share the car.
The Ferrari 296 GT3 Renee Gracie will share with Will Davison in the 2026 GT World Challenge Australia. Supplied
It’s another reason landing Davison is such a coup for the 31-year-old.
“For my motorsport program, he’s exactly what I needed. He wants to be involved in the program and not just be in it for himself. He wants to do well, and the alignment was strong,” she said.
“I just had this gut feeling from the very beginning that the fit was going to be perfect. The off-track support from him … I could see it was going to work really well if we got along and if he was on board.
“When you put everything else to the side, he could see the vision in me and my program from a motorsport perspective.”
Davison spent five seasons at Dick Johnson Racing at the wheel of the iconic No.17, but struggled for results since the category adopted the Gen3 regulations for 2023. He picked up just three podiums – one in each – in the three years since.
Davison said the opportunity represented a chance to stay sharp in preparation for the two Supercars enduros at Sandown and Bathurst, but also to fulfil a long held desire to race more in GT3 machinery.
“Ultimately, this was a decision about racing,” Davison told news.com.au.
“At this stage of my career, all I am concerned about is what happens on the track. I’m at the other end of my career, and it’s a great opportunity for me to race in a top car, with a top team, in a category I’ve been wanting to race in for ages.
“I’m thrilled for the opportunity. I’m really grateful and thankful for the opportunity.
“I really admire what Renee has done to come back as a race car driver. She’s put a massive effort into putting this program together, and I’ve been very impressed and blown away by her professionalism in all our chats.
“She means business.”
The pair will test the Ferrari at Phillip Island next week, ahead of the first race meeting at the same venue from March 27-29.