“I have always loved long races and, with Leanne as my co-driver, we’re going to be tough to beat,” said Whitley. For Tander, the endurance event marks two firsts in her 20+ year racing career – “I have raced many different categories, at many circuits both here and in New Zealand, but have never raced a SsangYong ute and have never raced at Pukekohe, so it’s really cool to be ticking off two firsts in one weekend,” she said. “Alex is a great driver, so I was really excited that she asked me to drive with her and I think we’re going to be a really strong pairing.”