Career
Tander started in karts in 1993, and progressed to Formula Ford in 1998. After mixed success there, she moved up into V8 Supercar in 2001 with Garry Rogers Motorsport and 2002 with Fleetcare Racing. The next three seasons saw her race her father Mark's Mazda RX-7 in Improved Production racing, winning the Victorian and New South Wales championships in 2005, as well as driving in the Australian Production Car Championship in 2004 for Team Toyota Australia. In 2005, Tander had her first taste of a Formula 3 car, contesting three rounds that year, and moved to the Australian Formula Three Championship full time in 2006, where she became the first female to win a race in 2007. After a pair of second places at Symmons Plains Raceway at the penultimate round, Tander went into the final round of the championship leading by four points.
After qualifying on pole position for both races at the season finale, at Oran Park Raceway, Leanne scored a third and a second in the two races, respectively, to narrowly miss out on the championship by just two points. It remains the best ever performance by a female driver in a National Australian circuit-racing Championship, and possibly the best ever by a female driver in a National or International F3 series.
In 2008 she remained in Australian F3 scoring four poles positions, five race wins and narrowly missed out on the title at the final round to James Winslow.
She is married to 2007 V8Supercar champion Garth Tander. With Garth leading the V8 Supercar standings, and Leanne having led the Australian Drivers Championship this season, it was the first time that a married couple have simultaneously lead Australian Motor Racing Championships.
In the 2009 V8 Supercar Series, Tander will join the Paul Cruikshank Racing racing for Ford. No pairings have been confirmed. She will also make a return to the Fujitsu Series driving a TanderSport prepared Ford BF Falcon beginning at Winton Motor Raceway.
In 2010 Tander competed in the Touring Car Masters, driving a replica Ford XA Falcon GTHO Phase IV. She placed 5th in the series, having won the last race of Round 5, held at the Mount Panorama Circuit as a support category to the 2010 Bathurst 1000 in which husband Garth finished 3rd in a successful weekend for the couple.
As of 2012, Leanne has been a regular contributor to entertainment and lifestyle website Live4.
Read more about this topic: Leanne Tander
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