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Leanne Tander Really Goes Truckin' at Oran Park |
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Tuesday, 24 April 2007 |
After experiencing Long-haul Truck driving for the first time last week, Leanne Tander has gone one step further by experienced real ‘Supertrucking’ at Oran Park raceway.
One of Australia’s most successful female racing car drivers, Leanne traded her Fleetcare TanderSport Dallara Formula 3 car for a 1200hp, 14-litre Supertruck at the Sydney circuit on Friday.
Taking the opportunity to experience something different thanks to the
coinciding opening round of the 2007 Biodiesel Supertruck Nationals,
Tander went for a number of hot laps of the 2.8 km circuit with
multiple Australian Super Truck Champion Bob Middleton in his
Caterpillar powered Freightliner entry.
With regular truckie Garth Tander indisposed with V8 Supercar
commitments in New Zealand, Leanne took the wheel of the TanderSport
truck for the 10-hour drive up the Hume highway from the team’s base on
the outskirts of Melbourne.
For Leanne, a vastly experienced circuit racer with race miles and many
successes in V8 Supercar, Production Cars, Formula Ford, Improved
Production, Super Touring and recently the Kumho Tyres Australian
Formula 3 Championship, it was a unique experience jumping from her
Dallara to the passenger seat of Middleton’s truck within the space of
an hour.
”It’s certainly a lot different to driving up the Hume in our transporter – it’s a lot more fun!” Leanne said.
“I really enjoyed the experience. There was obviously a lot more body
roll and oversteer compared to the Formula 3 car and because it’s so
big, and you’re so high from the ground, It think it’s deceptively
quick.
“One day I’d love to get behind the wheel and have a drive of one on
track - the last week has certainly given me a whole new outlook on
truck driving on both the public roads and on a race track!”
”We are on the hunt for a new truck to transport the car around with –
I think I might have to be careful or I’ll come home with one of
these!” she enthused.
Leanne’s chauffeur, Bob Middleton, has been one of the most successful
drivers in the history of Australian Supertruck racing and has been one
of the leading lights behind the series’ recent resurgence and solid
growth for the future.
The Biodiesel Supertruck Nationals will contest four rounds alongside
the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship – Australia’s premier
Open Wheel formulae competing for the Australian Drivers Championship /
CAMS Gold Star – this year as part of the Shannons National Racing
Championships.
Leanne Tander and Fleetcare TanderSport are leading contenders in Local
F3 racing, with Leanne the first female driver in the 51-year-history
of the Australian Drivers Championship to stand on the podium and score
a pole position.
For more information, please visit www.formula3.com.au, www.leannetander.com, or www.tandersport.com.
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