Ironman training may give Slade the edge

Tim Slade says he's the fittest he has ever been as the V8 Supercars head to the notoriouslywarmSKYCITY Triple Crown in Darwin and Castrol Townsville 500 - Driven by TAFE Queensland events in the coming weeks.

The Supercheap Auto racer recently participated in the Cairns Ironman 70.3 and believes his increased level of fitness will give him an edge through the Championship's annual northern leg.

Slade completed the 1.9km swim, 90km ride and 21.1km half-marathon run in less than four hours and 44 minutes and took sixth in his age group.

While the 28-year old was happy with his ironman result, he battled tough conditions on the day - including heavy rain and rough seas, as well as a surprise puncture on the bike leg that cost him time.

"I feel so much fitter, without a doubt," Slade said.

"My fitness level is probably the highest level that it ever has been.

"The fitter you are the more it helps you in the car, especially if the conditions are not ideal, or if something goes wrong - such as your cool suit failing."

Slade is hoping to make up for a difficult run at the last event in Perth and come out swinging at this weekend's SKYCITY Triple Crown.

"The good results are well overdue," Slade said.

"Our Commodore struggled for outright speed in Perth all weekend, but we made some changes for Sunday.

"We should have finished in the top 10 based on that alone, but a bent steering arm from some contact finished our day.

"So things have to turn around, and I'm looking forward to bouncing back at a place that I enjoy and have had typically solid results at."

While showing sparks of brilliance since shifting to Walkinshaw Racing for this season - such as qualifying on the front row in New Zealand and finishing on the podium at Winton - Slade is still looking for a V8 Supercars race win, as the mid-season approaches.

The Supercheap Auto racer is hoping to improve upon his best result at the Hidden Valley circuit, a fourth place in 2011, on the back of a successful test at Winton earlier this month.

"We've made some improvements with the package that are definitely going to help us in Darwin.

"And there's more developments in the pipeline as well, so there's no reason we can't continue our move up the grid."

Slade knows there's no time to waste with just three 20-minute practice sessions to kick off at the abrasive track on Friday.

"The track surface is one of the key factors," Slade said.

"It's very abrasive, so you want to make sure you treat the tyres right.

"It's also got a long front straight, so you can't afford to give away any speed in a straight line...

"Darwin is one of my favourite races, and I'm pretty sure it's the same for just about everyone in the pit lane as well.

"Everyone gets behind it, and it's a fantastic opportunity to enjoy the weather, the relaxed atmosphere and the great racing."

The SKYCITY Triple Crown begins on Friday June 20 - tickets are available now.