Driver’s partner on heating nightmare
DANI Byrnes has opened up on her horror at watching partner Tim Slade suffer severe heat exhaustion inside his Supercar at this month’s Bathurst 1000.
A number of factors led to cooling systems in his race suit and car failing, making for a sauna-like environment as he tried to steer his heavy Holden through Australia’s toughest racetrack in treacherous conditions.
“It was hard to watch because it went on for so long,” Byrnes said.
“I had everyone texting me and Tim’s mum and I was messaging Ebony who works at the team.
“I was frustrated. I was thinking are you guys in the garage seeing what we’re seeing on television? Because he is clearly distressed.
“I was just getting quite angry, like he needs to come in (to the pits) – and I knew that there was still one or two hours to go.”
Eventually Slade did pit, with co-driver Andre Heimgartner jumping in to help bring the car home in ninth place. Ahead of his home race at the Gold Coast this weekend, Slade revealed just how bad the situation was.
“Bathurst just fully depleted me,” he said.
“I had nothing left in the tank from fairly early on in the last bit of the race so that was pretty physically and mentally draining ... I was just wobbling around trying not to crash the car basically.”
The 32-year-old called on Supercars to assess cooling mechanisms used in other motorsport categories around the world that are “less prone to failing”.
Slade is one of the fittest drivers on the grid and enjoys getting a leg up on his rivals by attending the pilates classes Byrnes teaches.
“It is probably the best thing you can do for the race car, I would think,” he said.
“It’s very core specific,” Byrnes added.
“It’s not the sort of workout you can get by going for a run or going to the gym.”
Between their busy schedules, the pair train incredibly hard and make a strong case for being the fittest couple on the Supercars grid.
In July they competed in the Gold Coast half marathon, with Byrnes taking the honours – just. She crossed the finish line in 1:31:45, 32 seconds ahead of an admittedly underdone Slade.
“I beat him for once. I was pretty stoked actually,” she laughed.
I WAS FRUSTRATED. I WAS THINKING ARE YOU GUYS IN THE GARAGE SEEING WHAT WE’RE SEEING ON TELEVISION? BECAUSE HE IS CLEARLY DISTRESSED ...
DANI BYRNES
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