PremiAir's difficult decisions to make for 2025
PremiAir Racing team owner Peter Xiberras faces some difficult decisions over the coming weeks, maybe even months.
The drag racer now likely holds the final two pieces of the Supercars silly season puzzle, two seats which are an interesting proposition for those on the driver market.
Xiberras has made no secret of his intention to be a contender in Supercars since buying out Team Sydney for the 2022 season, and has made big moves to further solidify those claims.
The hiring of Ludo Lacroix from Dick Johnson Racing in January was a huge coup in the engineering department, as was the signing of Romy Mayer from Triple Eight last year.
PremiAir also run customer Triple Eight Camaros, which combined with the engineering firepower at their disposal makes for a strong base to build upon over the coming seasons.
The question for Xiberras and PremiAir is which two drivers will help them maintain their upward trajectory next season and beyond?
Supercars.com takes a look at some of the drivers who could find themselves in the frame for a drive at PremiAir Racing in 2025.
The incumbents
The simplest solution for PremiAir would be to maintain their current line-up of James Golding and Tim Slade for 2025 at the very least. The team already have familiarity with the two, and Golding in particular has shown flashes of brilliance since joining midway through the 2022 season, claiming a maiden pole earlier this year in Darwin, and showing great pace at Bathurst on several occasions.
The waters are a little muddier for Slade, who finds himself mired in 19th in the standings through bad luck more than anything. The ten place difference in points between Slade and Golding in ninth doesn’t paint a clear picture of how tight the head-to-head has been between the pair, with the pair tied in qualifying and Golding up 9-8 in races. The 39-year-old is still more than capable as a full-timer, and had a solid opening weekend with new engineer Andrew Gilliam in Tasmania. But how does Slade stack up compared to who else is available?
Mark Winterbottom
Mark Winterbottom has become a surprise player in the silly season after his bombshell social media post announcing his departure from Team 18 last week. Winterbottom has something that no one else on the market has, and that is a championship win. That could potentially be a big attraction for Xiberras and PremiAir, but at 43 years old, would Winterbottom be willing to take the challenge of pushing PremiAir to the front when he could challenge for a second Bathurst win at a top team?
Richie Stanaway
The first driver to find himself on the outside looking in this silly season, Richie Stanaway had been linked to a Team 18 move before Anton De Pasquale’s signing was made official. Should Stanaway want another chance at a full-time seat in 2025, PremiAir could be a good fit for the 32-year-old Kiwi. The chance to get back behind the wheel of a Triple Eight Camaro could be a tantalising proposition having won last year’s Bathurst 1000 with Shane van Gisbergen. The engineering group, many of whom cut their teeth in European motorsport, could also be what Stanaway, who himself was well on the path to Formula One, needs to realise his potential as a solo driver.
Cameron McLeod
PremiAir have invested in the future of the sport this season, expanding into the Super2 Series to run 2023 Mike Kable Young Gun Award winner Cameron McLeod. Whilst McLeod stole all the headlines after being tipped into a huge rollover in Perth, the 19-year-old has shown solid speed after graduating from Super3 last year. Currently seventh in the Super2 Series, he has impressed Xiberras enough that he will partner Slade in the #23 Nulon Camaro at the enduros. Are the enduros an audition for something more next year, or will Xiberras give him a second year in Super2 to smooth out some rough edges? Given he’s only 19, age is on McLeod’s side.
Zach Bates
If Xiberras does think youth is the way to go, then would he be willing to look outside of his own Super2 program? If so, Walkinshaw Andretti United young gun Zach Bates could be an outside chance. Currently sitting third in the standings behind Kai Allen and Aaron Cameron, the 20-year-old claimed his maiden race and round wins in Perth, and also claimed his maiden pole last time out in Townsville. WAU CEO Bruce Stewart has big wraps on the Canberran, and has said that the team would assist in whatever way is necessary to get Bates onto the grid next year.
Who else?
As always seems to be the case at the end of silly season, the number of available drivers far outweighs the number of available seats. Todd Hazelwood has made no secret of his desire to get back onto the grid full-time in a competitive ride, whilst fellow Erebus co-driver Jayden Ojeda was also rumoured for the Erebus seat now taken by Cooper Murray. PremiAir also gave laps to Kiwi open-wheel ace Kaleb Ngatoa at the Sydney ride day, with an eye on a Super2 ride for next year.
