ALICE BUCKLEY Makes Trans Am History with Pole & Double Win Debut

July 1, 2025

by Stefan Bartholomaeus // from speedcafe.com

GRRL! SUMMARY:

17-year-old ALICE BUCKLEY made Trans Am history at Queensland Raceway, becoming the first female to win in TA2 class after scoring pole position and both Sunday race victories in her debut weekend. The Toyota 86 regular got just a half-day of testing in the Buckley family’s new Chevrolet Camaro but impressed mentor Tim Slade by being “on it straight away.”
Slade’s mentoring proved crucial, providing pre-event testing benchmarks and race guidance that helped BUCKLEY manage pressure situations like the final race where she held off a charging field while nursing a deflating tire. The Supercars veteran admitted being more stressed watching than driving his own races, getting emotional after her pole and first win.
The partnership continues with Slade set to co-drive the Chevrolet Performance-backed Camaro alongside BUCKLEY in August’s two-driver TA2 round. Their mentor-student relationship will flip temporarily at Townsville 500 where they’ll be rivals – BUCKLEY in GR Cup and Slade making a guest Supercars appearance, with Slade joking he’ll “need some coaching from her.”