Tim Slade heads to his home event in Adelaide as one of the street circuit specialists in 2022.
Supercars have raced on three genuine street circuits this season - Albert Park, Townsville and Surfers Paradise.
The three circuits have hosted eight races in 2022, with Shane van Gisbergen (six wins) and Chaz Mostert (two) doing the winning.
It's no surprise, then, that van Gisbergen (3.625) and Mostert (6.0) have the best average race finishes on street circuits.
Slade is a shock fourth with a 7.625 average, just behind Will Davison (7.5) and ahead of David Reynolds (8.25).
The outgoing CoolDrive Racing driver has finished no lower than 12th across the eight races, including seven top 10s.
Slade was a fixture of the 10 at Albert Park
Slade scored finishes of fourth, eighth, seventh and fourth at Albert Park, and finished eighth twice in Townsville.
He shrugged off a Sunday qualifying crash to be classified 10th in the Gold Coast finale, a day after racing to 12th.
Slade, who grew up in McLaren Vale and Woodcroft in Adelaide's south, has better street circuit average finishes than notables Cam Waters, Anton De Pasquale and Broc Feeney.
Waters and De Pasquale have scored street podiums, but both were undone by poor results at Albert Park.
It must be mentioned that Garry Jacobson, who departed PremiAir Racing mid-season, demonstrated his own street smarts.
Jacobson wildly impressed at Albert Park with finishes of ninth, 6th, 10th and 15th.
Feeney, meanwhile, was one of six drivers to be caught up in the Gold Coast finale chicane crash.
Rookie Feeney, Lee Holdsworth and Todd Hazelwood recorded their first DNFs of the season in the accident.
The 2022 season will end at arguably the most testing Supercars street circuit of them all in Adelaide.
Only one race in Adelaide's Supercars history - the 2019 Sunday race - has had all starters classified as finishers.
Only eight of the 46 races run have been held without the appearance of the Safety Car.
This year's event will also be the last for the current-spec Gen2 cars before the Gen3 era commences in 2023.
The Gen3 cars won't have an easy start to life next season, however, given the 2023 season will start on the streets of Newcastle.
Tickets for the VALO Adelaide 500 are available on Supercars.com and Ticketek.com.
Average street circuit race finish in 2022*
Driver | Albert Park | Townsville | Gold Coast | Av. fin. |
van Gisbergen | 3rd, 1st, 1st, 20th | 1st, 1st | 1st, 1st | 3.625 |
Mostert | 1st, 22nd, 5th, 1st | 9th, 5th | 3rd, 2nd | 6.0 |
Davison | 16th, 24th. 2nd, 2nd | 2nd, 7th | 4th, 3rd | 7.5 |
Slade | 4th, 8th, 7th, 4th | 8th, 8th | 12th, 10th | 7.625 |
Reynolds | 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, DNF | 18th, 11th | 2nd, 4th | 8.25 |
Waters | 18th, 21st, 8th, 7th | 3rd, 3rd | 5th, 7th | 9.0 |
B.Kostecki | 14th, 7th, 15th, 5th | 12th, 16th | 7th, 5th | 10.125 |
Feeney | 8th, 14th, 6th, 12th | 7th, 6th | 14th, DNF | 10.875 |
De Pasquale | 23rd, 20th, 4th, 3rd | 6th, 2nd | 6th, DSQ | 11.125 |
Winterbottom | 7th, 12th, 17th, 9th | 25th, 10th | 9th, 6th | 11.875 |
Percat | 5th, 17th, 16th, 6th | 13th, 12th | 10th, DNF | 12.75 |
Courtney | 20th, 9th, 9th, 22nd | 20th, 4th | 8th, 17th | 13.625 |
Pye | 11th, 4th, 25th, 11th | 5th, DNF | 17th, 12th | 13.75 |
Le Brocq | 25th, 15th, 12th, 16th | 10th, 14th | 13th, 16th | 15.125 |
Heimgartner | 15th, DNF, 18th, 17th | 4th, 9th | DNF, 8th | 15.125 |
Fullwood | 10th, 10th, 22nd, 19th | 15th, 13th | 22nd, 13th | 15.5 |
Holdsworth | 22nd, 3rd, 13th, 10th | 17th, 23rd | 15th, DNF | 15.5 |
Hazelwood | 19th, 5th, 14th, 14th | 21st, 15th | 18th, DNF | 16.0 |
J.Kostecki | 12th, 13th, 20th, 13th | 14th, 24th | 23rd, 15th | 16.75 |
Randle | 21st, 18th, 11th, DNF | 16th, 17th | 11th, DNF | 16.875 |
Brown | 17th, 23rd, 24th, 8th | 11th, 19th | 24th, 11th | 17.125 |
Pither | 24th, 16th, 19th, 21st | 19th, 18th | 16th, 9th | 17.75 |
Jones | 6th, 11th, 23rd, 18th | 22nd, 22nd | 20th, DNF | 18.25 |
Smith | 13th, 19th, 21st, DNF | 24th, 20th | 21st, 14th | 19.625 |
*Drivers who have completed all races