Slade through the years
Fittingly the full-time Supercars career of Tim Slade will end at the same place it started, the famous streets of Adelaide.
This weekend Slade will salute the Supercars paddock after a long and storied career that will see him become the 22nd driver to notch up 400 race starts.
“As for being my last Supercars race as full-timer, all the build up in prep feels no different to any other race. The last couple of races for us have been pretty average, so I would dearly love to finish with a couple of decent results this weekend,” Slade said on the eve of the final round.
2009: 23rd – PB 7th x2
Tim Slade at Townsville in his first rookie 2009 campaign. Image: Mark Horsburgh
Slade arrived on the Supercars grid with plenty of hair at Paul Morris Motorsport. After a tough start that saw him retire from his first three races, he found his feet over the next five races before a breakthrough top 10 at Queensland Raceway. Alongside Morris impressed with a pair of P7s in the Phillip Island and Bathurst enduros to be 23rd in the 30-car championship.
2010: 16th – PB 5th x1
Tim Slade leads Shane Van Gisbergen at Darwin. Image: Mark Horsburgh/LAT Photographic
A move from Holden to Ford saw Slade land at James Rosenberg Racing that was aligned with SBR.
After a steady start Slade hit his straps with three straight top 10s at Winton and Hidden Valley before he again impressed at the Phillip Island 500, getting a maiden top five with Jack Perkins.
2011: 9th PB 2nd x2
Tim Slade teamed up with Helio Castroneves at the Gold Coast 500. Image: Mark Horsburgh/LAT Photographic
Slade instantly showed he was ready for a step up by finishing the first race of 2011 in the top five.
He repeated the feat at Wanneroo and Hidden Valley before a stunning breakout weekend at Queensland Raceway.
Whilst Craig Lowndes recorded a clean sweep, Slade stunned with three straight podiums including a pair of runner-up finishes.
It propelled Slade to his first top 10 championship finish.
2012: 5th PB 2nd x1
Tim Slade pushing to the podium at the 2012 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. Image: Mark Horsburgh
Boosted by 2011, Slade took his form to further heights in 2012.
In a season dominated by Triple Eight and FPR, which won all 30 races, Slade won the fiercely contested best of the rest honours.
A consistent start to the year was highlighted with a third at Phillip Island, but it was the second half of the season where the Lucky 7 Falcon really excelled.
Starting at the Sandown 500, Slade finished each of the last 11 races in the top 10 and no lower than seventh.
The highlight was a second place on the streets of Sydney where he also stormed to a first pole.
2013: 22nd PB 6th x1
Tim Slade flies through the Senna Chicane in the Mercedes debut at the 2013 Adelaide 500. Image: Daniel Kalisz/LAT Photographic
A switch from SBR to Erebus and Ford to Mercedes saw Slade fall down the leaderboard.
It was a tough start to the year with Slade breaking into the top 20 just five times in the first 16 races.
Darwin was a turning point as he returned to the top 10 with a season best sixth.
He got three more P8s to end the year on a slightly better note.
2014: 17th PB 2nd x1
Tim Slade walking on water at Sydney in 2014. Image: Peter Norton
It was back to the future as Slade moved back to Holden and Supercheap Auto colours for 2014.
He was back fighting in and around the top 10 early before returning to the podium at happy hunting ground Winton.
A strong end to the year that contained two podiums, one on the Gold Coast and a second place at a wet Sydney.
2015: 12th PB 2nd x1
Tim Slade going through the Esses in 2015. Image: Peter Norton
A second year at Walkinshaws was a more consistent one with Slade an ever present around the top 10.
In the race where Craig Lowndes made history to be the first to a century of Supercars wins, Slade was just 1.8s behind him in second position.
That was his only top five, but still showed solid pace.
2016: 8th PB 1st x2
Tim Slade leaving the field for dust at Winton 2016. Image: Peter Norton
Slade was again on the move, this time to Brad Jones Racing as Fabian Coulthard’s replacement in the winning #14.
And famously Slade maintained that trend on one unforgettable weekend at Winton.
The Winton SuperSprint was the one perfect round for Slade where everything clicked.
From pole position Slade cruised to a maiden win in his 227th start.
Boosted by the feeling, he did it again the following day.
Another second place at Darwin and an equal best Bathurst 1000 result as the main driver of seventh ensured he finished eighth in the standings, a feat he has been unable to beat since.
2017: 11th PB 3rd x2
Tim Slade walked on water to claim a surfboard at the 2017 Gold Coast 600 for BJR. Image: Daniel Kalisz/LAT Images
The raw speed may not have been the same, but Slade still pushed hard and a fifth place at Darwin saw him finish the year strong.
Two third places at Surfers Paradise in the rain with Heimgartner and on his own at Newcastle saw him secure 11th.
2018: 11th PB 4 x3
Tim Slade at Sydney Motorsport Park
Although 2018 was Slade’s first without a trophy since 2013, he was still around the mark and fell just short of leading BJR honours to Percat.
Even though he missed the podium, he came close being fourth three times and finished every single race, the only time he did it.
2019: 15th PB 3rd x2
Tim Slade’s last podium was Newcastle 2019. Image: Peter Norton
Slade started 2019 very well with six top 10s in the first seven races, highlighted by an Albert Park podium.
But a tough run across 15 races from Perth to Bathurst where he was no higher than 11th proved costly.
He lost his BJR drive and a spot in the full-time grid, but ended his BJR time on a high with a Newcastle podium.
2020: 30th PB 5th x1
Scott McLaughlin and Tim Slade shared the #17 DJR Team Penske Ford at Mount Panorama in 2020. Photo by Dirk Klynsmith / LAT Images
With no full-time seat, Slade became a wanted co-driver and with Premat unable to be in Australia, he landed the plumb drive alongside reigning champion McLaughlin the famous #17.
Whilst they did not have the pace to challenge for victory, Slade helped McLaughlin secure the title with fifth at The Great Race.
2021: 12th PB 4th x1
Tim Slade was on the pace on BRT debut at Bathurst 2021.
Slade went straight back to the grid in 2021 and spearheaded the new Blanchard Racing Team squad.
It almost started so well, qualifying on the front row and being within touching distance of a dream podium in the first race, only to suffer a heavy crash through The Esses in the closing laps.
Slade was ruled out for the rest of the weekend and never quite found the same pace for the rest of the year.
Finished fourth in the first race of the second part of the Townsville doubleheader, which was one of 14 top 10s.
2022: 11th 4th x2
Tim Slade at Pukekohe in 2022. Image: Motorsport Images
Slade and BRT started 2022 on the front foot, being a regular in the top 10.
Most impressive weekend was the Australian Grand Prix with a pair of fourths.
Same consistency could not be replicated for the rest of the year, but an impressive fifth in the Adelaide finale secured 11th in the standings.
2023: 19th PB 6th x2
Tim Slade leads PremiAir teammate James Golding. Image: Mark Horsburgh
Slade made his fifth manufacturer switch in 2023 when he joined PremiAir Racing and hit the ground running with six top 10s across the first four rounds.
But the pace dropped away throughout the year and drifted to 19th.
2024: 20th PB 8th x2
Tim Slade at Bathurst. Image: peter Norton
In his final full Supercars season, Slade has achieved five top 10 results, but been unable to match the pace of his teammate Golding.
Best results were a pair of P8s at Albert Park and Symmons Plains, while Taupo was what could have been.
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