Slade steps up for Penske

AT the end of last year’s Supercars season, South Australian driver Tim Slade got proactive about the next step in his career and sought out a co-drive with arguably the biggest team in pit lane.

Slade, 34, and his former team Brad Jones Racing had agreed to part ways, and though there was another potential full-time driving option available for the 2020 season, he opted to investigate a part-time enduro codrive instead.

It was that decision that led to him pulling on the DJR Team Penske colours this season and sharing a Shell VPower Racing Ford Mustang with last year’s series champion and Bathurst winner, Scott McLaughlin.

“I didn’t want to be full time for the sake of being full time, I want to be in there for the chance of getting good results,” he said.

“I spoke to the team [DJR Team Penske] to see where they’re at, to let them know [I was available].”

McLaughlin previously had raced with Frenchman Alex Premat, including for the Bathurst win, who now has been signed by rival Ford team Tickford Racing for the three endurance rounds later this year.

He said the co-drive with Slade would ensure the team could hit the ground running for the first enduro at The Bend in September — a track at which Slade has racing experience, but Premat has not.

McLaughlin said he previously raced with Slade in the development series and the two already had a strong relationship.

“To do it with a friend of mine is great,” he said.

“We had to grab him.”