A promising yet ultimately tough weekend in her international racing debut has not stopped Leanne Tander from returning for more from the New Zealand-based Toyota Racing Series.
A leading contender in the Kumho Tyres Australian Formula 3 Championship with Fleetcare TanderSport, Leanne will again cross the Tasman to take in the next two rounds of New Zealand’s summer series.
Leanne will race the weekend of March 2 – 4 at the South Island circuit of Timaru International Raceway, before taking on the prestigious New Zealand Grand Prix at Teretonga, near Invercargill, the following weekend.
The 40-lap NZGP is one of the oldest and most decorated races in New Zealand and is one of the centrepieces of the one-make series for the identical, 1.8-litre wings and slicks cars.
A promising performance at Manfeild last weekend saw the European Techniques team ask Leanne back for the next two rounds of the championship.
The chance to again race in New Zealand may also aid Leanne’s quest to become the first ever female race winner of an Australian Formula 3 race, given she will surely have more race miles than anyone when she returns to the seat of her Holden-powered Formula 3 car later in March at the Australian Grand Prix.
“It’s good to be back with the (European Techniques) team, and it looks like I’ll be in the car Bart (Mawer) drove at the last round, †Leanne explained.
“The New Zealand Grand Prix is obviously a big event, and wining would be good, but I’m not putting my hopes that high.
“If I can run in the top five by the end of the NZGP it’ll be really good.
“I had a really good time over in New Zealand last weekend and enjoyed the racing. It’s great that I’ve been invited back to drive again and hopefully I can be closer to the front. †She said.
Whilst each round (the sixth and seventh of the eight-round championship) will once again have a three-race format, the New Zealand Grand Prix is the longest event of the season, drivers banking 40-laps of the super-fast 2.62km Teretonga circuit – the Southernmost circuit in the world.
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