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Wido Rossen
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Wido Rossen
Leander Tander to drive the Enduros
Australia's top female motor racer, Leanne Tander is set to bring girl power to V8 Supercars, having earned a hotly-contested enduro drive with Wilson Security Racing (WSR) for the 2009 season.
Far from being a token female, 28-year-old Tander is a highly accomplished racer in her own right and has made a habit of outpacing most of her male counterparts in many of Australia's leading racing categories.
By Ed Peters Tuesday, 03 March 2009 23:42 CET
No stranger to V8 Supercar racing, Tander spent the 2001 and 2002 seasons battling the blokes in the V8 Supercar Development Series and became the first and only woman to stand on the podium of a V8 Supercar race.
"To be honest, 98% of the time I forget that I'm any different to anyone else out there. Everybody on the track is out there to win – they want to beat every single person, I want to beat every single person; we're really no different in that regard."
The wife of 2007 V8 Supercar Champion, Garth Tander, Mrs Tander is also relishing the opportunity to compete against her husband in this year's 500km battle at Phillip Island and the world-renowned Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.
"In 2001, I was entered in the Bathurst 1000, but I never got the chance to race. I was ready to go, standing in pit lane waiting for the car to come in because my co-driver was on his in-lap and he crashed it on the way into pit lane. That ended our race before I'd even gotten in the car.
"So this year will be my first year to actually race a V8 Supercar at Bathurst."
Not only will Mrs Tander take on the men, it will be husband versus wife, and Ford versus Holden as she climbs aboard the WSR Falcon, setting up a monumental on-track battle and compelling viewing for V8 Supercar fans.
The extraordinary Tander versus Tander battle will be the first time a married couple will race each other in V8 Supercars.
"We've never had the opportunity to race wheel-to-wheel and I don't think we will be necessarily racing wheel-to-wheel this year either, but to be in the same race with my husband, I'm really looking forward to it." said Leanne.
Eager to get some time behind the wheel of the Wilson Security Racing Falcon, Tander's first scheduled outing in the V8 Supercar will be in the team's upcoming test day at Queensland Raceway on Wednesday 11 March.
"Obviously I'm very excited. When the contract was signed and everything was finalised, I couldn't stop grinning for the rest of the day; I'm just thrilled.
"Now that this is locked away, it has really rejuvenated me and I'm 100% focused on doing the best job I can at the enduros for Wilson Security Racing."
The 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series' endurance events will see Tander in full race mode in the WSR Falcon for the first time at the L&H 500 Phillip Island on 11-13 September before she takes on 'the Mountain' in the prestigious Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on 8-11 October.
In addition to her racing duties, Tander's professional approach and bright personality will also see her employed as a brand ambassador for Wilson Security throughout 2009 and beyond.
Paul Cruickshank Wilson Security Racing Team Pricipal said: "I'm delighted to welcome Leanne into the team - she is an outstanding driver and she has absolutely earned this opportunity.
"Leanne has a lot of experience in a wide variety of cars and has shown that she can adapt very quickly to her surrounds.
"There are a string of lap records and pole positions that attest to how quick Leanne is, and she's racked up plenty of race wins in a range of national categories, which leaves no doubt about the quality of her race craft.
"Being a woman in such a male-dominated sport, she has naturally worked extra hard to prove herself; she is an extremely motivated and talented racer and I really look forward to working with her.
"Having announced our complete driver line-up for 2009, we're keen to start testing with the whole team, and we will confirm our driver pairings closer to the enduros."
( source Touringcartimes.com )
Australia's top female motor racer, Leanne Tander is set to bring girl power to V8 Supercars, having earned a hotly-contested enduro drive with Wilson Security Racing (WSR) for the 2009 season.
Far from being a token female, 28-year-old Tander is a highly accomplished racer in her own right and has made a habit of outpacing most of her male counterparts in many of Australia's leading racing categories.
By Ed Peters Tuesday, 03 March 2009 23:42 CET
No stranger to V8 Supercar racing, Tander spent the 2001 and 2002 seasons battling the blokes in the V8 Supercar Development Series and became the first and only woman to stand on the podium of a V8 Supercar race.
"To be honest, 98% of the time I forget that I'm any different to anyone else out there. Everybody on the track is out there to win – they want to beat every single person, I want to beat every single person; we're really no different in that regard."
The wife of 2007 V8 Supercar Champion, Garth Tander, Mrs Tander is also relishing the opportunity to compete against her husband in this year's 500km battle at Phillip Island and the world-renowned Bathurst 1000 at Mount Panorama.
"In 2001, I was entered in the Bathurst 1000, but I never got the chance to race. I was ready to go, standing in pit lane waiting for the car to come in because my co-driver was on his in-lap and he crashed it on the way into pit lane. That ended our race before I'd even gotten in the car.
"So this year will be my first year to actually race a V8 Supercar at Bathurst."
Not only will Mrs Tander take on the men, it will be husband versus wife, and Ford versus Holden as she climbs aboard the WSR Falcon, setting up a monumental on-track battle and compelling viewing for V8 Supercar fans.
The extraordinary Tander versus Tander battle will be the first time a married couple will race each other in V8 Supercars.
"We've never had the opportunity to race wheel-to-wheel and I don't think we will be necessarily racing wheel-to-wheel this year either, but to be in the same race with my husband, I'm really looking forward to it." said Leanne.
Eager to get some time behind the wheel of the Wilson Security Racing Falcon, Tander's first scheduled outing in the V8 Supercar will be in the team's upcoming test day at Queensland Raceway on Wednesday 11 March.
"Obviously I'm very excited. When the contract was signed and everything was finalised, I couldn't stop grinning for the rest of the day; I'm just thrilled.
"Now that this is locked away, it has really rejuvenated me and I'm 100% focused on doing the best job I can at the enduros for Wilson Security Racing."
The 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series' endurance events will see Tander in full race mode in the WSR Falcon for the first time at the L&H 500 Phillip Island on 11-13 September before she takes on 'the Mountain' in the prestigious Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000 on 8-11 October.
In addition to her racing duties, Tander's professional approach and bright personality will also see her employed as a brand ambassador for Wilson Security throughout 2009 and beyond.
Paul Cruickshank Wilson Security Racing Team Pricipal said: "I'm delighted to welcome Leanne into the team - she is an outstanding driver and she has absolutely earned this opportunity.
"Leanne has a lot of experience in a wide variety of cars and has shown that she can adapt very quickly to her surrounds.
"There are a string of lap records and pole positions that attest to how quick Leanne is, and she's racked up plenty of race wins in a range of national categories, which leaves no doubt about the quality of her race craft.
"Being a woman in such a male-dominated sport, she has naturally worked extra hard to prove herself; she is an extremely motivated and talented racer and I really look forward to working with her.
"Having announced our complete driver line-up for 2009, we're keen to start testing with the whole team, and we will confirm our driver pairings closer to the enduros."
( source Touringcartimes.com )
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