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Slade reflects on “tough times” leading into maiden V8s win

Tim Slade has opened up on the tough journey that led to him taking his first V8 Supercars race win after 227 starts.

Race winner Tim Slade, Brad Jones Racing Holden

Race winner Tim Slade, Brad Jones Racing Holden

Dirk Klynsmith

Tim Slade, Brad Jones Racing Holden
Tim Slade, Brad Jones Racing Holden
Tim Slade, Brad Jones Racing Holden
Tim Slade, Brad Jones Racing Holden
Tim Slade, Brad Jones Racing Holden
Tim Slade, Brad Jones Racing Holden
Tim Slade, Brad Jones Racing Holden

The Brad Jones Racing driver took a comprehensive victory away from today’s 120-kilometre opener at Winton, becoming the ninth different winner from 10 races so far this season, and the 73rd different winner in Australian Touring Car Championship/V8 Supercars history.

But while his maiden win was an easy one, the road to becoming a V8s winner wasn’t always that smooth. Slade’s career in the main game so far has included the troubled transition from Stone Brothers Racing to Erebus in 2013, and a lean couple seasons at Walkinshaw Racing in 2014 and 2015.

“The last few years have been a bit up and down,” said Slade.

“Back few years I felt as though we had some good momentum going at SBR; that was a pretty good period and we came on strong the last year there.

“But then that got sort of pulled out from underneath us with everything that happened there. It was a fair few steps backwards.”

Slade admits that what followed was a period where his confidence was given a decent shake.

“Yeah, definitely,” he said when asked if it was hard to keep faith in his ability.

“Half-way through 2014 with Walkinshaw I went through a pretty tough period. [Walkinshaw Racing manager] Adrian [Burgess], he was really good, helped me through that.

“The toughest of that was crashing out at Bathurst [in 2014], and we’d already had a lean run before that. That was sort of a breaking point for me, luckily we came out at the Gold Coast and had a pretty good weekend there and got a podium.

“For sure, there’s been tough times. You go through that period; you’ve got team-mates who were winning races and finishing towards the front fairly consistently, and you’re back a bit and can’t see why you’re back there. The answers aren’t really there.

“When the answers aren’t there, that’s the toughest time.”

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