Enduro stars who delivered full-time comebacks

News of Tim Slade’s retirement has left a vacancy at PremiAir Nulon Racing for 2025, with a number of drivers already linked to the seat.

Scott Pye and Declan Fraser, who raced full-time in 2023, are among a host of candidates for the drive, as well as Todd Hazelwood.

Speaking at Sandown, where he ultimately won the race, Pye said: "If an opportunity does come up, it would have to be the right one... if an opportunity does come up and I thought it was a good thing, of course you would consider it."

Fraser, meanwhile, was firm in his answer: "My main intent is to get back in the main game."

Pye, Fraser and Hazelwood all impressed at Sandown, proving they still have what it takes to fight with the best of the best.

Should either of the three land back on the grid in 2025, it would add to a list of superb recent enduro efforts that got drivers back in the main game full-time.

Jamie Whincup

A Supercars Hall of Famer with 125 wins and seven championships, it's easy to forget that a young Jamie Whincup was dumped from Garry Rogers Motorsport after a dour 2003 season. He secured a seat in a third Larry Perkins entry for the 2004 enduros, and duly finished ninth at the Great Race alongside Alex Davison. It helped facilitate a move to Tasman Motorsport, courtesy of a tip from Jim Richards, with Sandown and Bathurst podiums sealing a fateful opportunity with Triple Eight.

Andre Heimgartner

After debuting as a teenager in a satellite Super Black Racing Ford in 2014, Andre Heimgartner completed the first 12 rounds in 2015 before being replaced by Chris Pither. He scored a Lucas Dumbrell Motorsport seat for 2016, but finished 25th and not only missed out on a full-time drive for 2017, but a co-drive opportunity too. As fate would have it, an injury to Ash Walsh opened the door to a last-minute chance with Brad Jones Racing, and he took it with both hands, leading in treacherous conditions on the Gold Coast to deliver a stunning podium. Kelly Racing signed him up for 2018, where he remained until 2021 before coming full circle with BJR.

Tim Slade

The newly-retired Tim Slade debuted in a Paul Morris Motorsport Commodore in 2009, before racing with Stone Brothers Racing/Erebus Motorsport (2010-13), Walkinshaw (2014-15) and BJR (2016-19). Despite a string of highlights, Slade missed out on a full-time drive for 2020, but secured a plumb co-drive with Scott McLaughlin and DJR Team Penske. Fifth at the Great Race helped seal a comeback with upstart squad Blanchard Racing Team, and a stunning first-up front row proved Slade still had it. A heartbreaking crash followed, but Slade put on several epic performances across 2021 and 2022 to help secure a move to PremiAir Racing for 2023.

Will Davison

From his full-time debut in 2006, Will Davison was a bonafide race winner at Dick Johnson Racing, Holden Racing Team, Ford Performance Racing and TEKNO Autosports. He returned to the Tickford fold in a satellite 23Red Mustang in 2018, and showed glimpses of speed in 2019 before leaving the 2020 opener in Adelaide fifth in the points. Then, COVID-19 struck, leaving Davison out of a drive as Phil Munday's 23Red pulled out. Tickford Racing moved to put Davison alongside Cam Waters for Bathurst, and they missed out on victory by less than a second. With McLaughlin and Fabian Coulthard moving on, DJR needed a calm head to put alongside rising star recruit Anton De Pasquale. Davison was their man, and he will turn out for a fifth season in 2025.

Lee Holdsworth

Lee Holdsworth was a dark horse through his time with GRM between 2006 and 2010, winning at Oran Park (2007) and Homebush (2010) to be an ever constant threat at the front. A move to SBR/Erebus (2011-2014) had few highlights, a Winton victory aboard a Mercedes in 2014 a shock yet well-deserved triumph. A four-year stint at Team 18 was a rollercoaster, before a move to Tickford saw Holdsworth back to his best, scoring a Sandown 500 podium in 2019, a brace of Sydney podiums in 2020, and a shock provisional Bathurst pole. Then, Tickford downsized to two cars for 2021, and Holdsworth was squeezed out. Walkinshaw Andretti United quickly signed him alongside Chaz Mostert for Bathurst, and Holdsworth was peerless among the co-drivers, delivering a stunning Bathurst win Grove Racing handed him a 2022 campaign, and he was able to end his full-time career on his own terms.

Richie Stanaway

After winning Sandown with Waters in 2017, the planets aligned for Richie Stanaway to become the next big thing. However, it didn't eventuate, with the Kiwi seemingly lost from Supercars altogether after torrid full-time campaigns at Tickford (2018) and GRM (2019). Coaxed out of retirement for a Bathurst wildcard in 2021, COVID disruptions forced Stanaway to wait until 2022, and he stunned with fifth in wet qualifying, and 11th in the race. Triple Eight plonked him alongside Shane van Gisbergen, and he had secured a drive with Grove Racing for 2024 before he finished third at Sandown, and won the Great Race.

Honourable mentions

Jack Perkins raced full-time for his father's team in 2007, but stepped back as he managed his diabetes diagnosis. He returned for the 2008 enduros and placed eighth in both races, signing with Kelly Racing full-time for 2009. He wasn't retained for 2010, but was a solid co-driver for SBR (2010), Paul Morris Motorsport (2011-12) and GRM (2013), twice finishing eighth at Bathurst before steering a Charlie Schwerkolt-owned, FPR-run Falcon for the 2014 season.

Alex Davison ran a Perkins Commodore in 2005 before losing his seat, and duly reeled off three Bathurst top 10s with DJR (2006-07) and Paul Cruickshank Racing (2008) to lead to a full-time stint with SBR (2010-11). He returned to Carrera Cup in 2012, but finished 10th in the Great Race with DJR and James Moffat, sealing a 2013 seat in the Schwerkolt FPR entry taken over by Perkins the following season.

David Reynolds was driver on the rise and secured a full-time seat in the Walkinshaw stable for 2009. After a quiet year, he was paired with Will Davison for the 2010 enduros, and they ran third late in the race at Mount Panorama before Davison crashed out. Reynolds clinched a drive with Kelly Racing for 2011, before he set sail for FPR.

James Golding raced full-time for GRM in 2018 and 2019, but was out of a drive as the team departed Supercars. Paired with Mark Winterbottom, Golding impressed to eighth in the 2020 Bathurst 1000, and while he missed out in 2021 due to an early DNF, PremiAir Racing picked him up mid-season in 2022.