Grove Racing re-sign Garth Tander on multi-year deal.

Grove Racing is pleased to announce the re-signing of Garth Tander on a long-term deal.

Tander will continue in his multi-faceted role of Strategic Advisor, helping to develop the fleet of young talent rising through the Grove Racing ranks. Alongside his development work, Tander will continue as Grove Racing co-driver in the Repco Supercars Championship for 2025 and beyond.

Coming off a fifth Bathurst 1000 triumph, Tander was signed by Grove Racing in December of 2022 to help bring endurance race success in the new-to-2023 Gen 3 era. To no surprise, the 2007 Supercars champion was one of the fastest and most-consistent co-drivers across his two endurance campaigns with the team so far.

Tander’s vast experience across his decorated Supercars career has already paid dividends, providing an invaluable level of feedback and support to 22-year-old Matt Payne, with whom he shared the Number 19 Mustang at Sandown and Bathurst. Tander’s level-headed expertise is the perfect tonic for Payne’s raw speed.

Tander’s tutelage of Payne, as well as rookie Kai Allen will provide the youngsters with guidance on how to navigate all facets of elite sport. Tander’s leadership will extract the most out of the young pair from a performance perspective, whilst simultaneously offering insight into becoming a valuable commercial asset.

Tander’s stature as one of the greats of the Repco Supercars Championship provides invaluable leadership & direction to Grove Racing, with GT one of the most notable figures in pitlane.

QUOTES:

Garth Tander: 

I’m excited to extend my relationship with Grove Racing into the future! I said when I initially joined the team that I had belief in where the team was headed, and nothing has changed there, hence it was an easy decision to continue with the team. 

With Matt Payne continuing to flourish and the addition of Kai Allen joining the team in 2025, I see this as an opportunity share my experience and Supercars knowledge with them both, not only in regards to driving, but managing the entire race weekend and season. 

It’s important to me to mentor young drivers in our sport, and obviously in our team. Not only Matt, who will be entering his third full time year in 2025, but also Kai who joins the team in ’25 for his rookie year. 

It’s a tough championship and both Matt and Kai need to walk their own journey in their own careers. However, if I can help them try not to make the same mistakes I did when I was at that stage of my career, then I believe that will put them in good stead to achieve the levels of success that we know they are capable of. I wasn’t fortunate to have that mentor type when I was at the beginning of my career, and hopefully I can help accelerate some of the learnings required to succeed in Supercars. 

The team is still a young team, there is a long way to go for this team to realise its potential, and I want to be part of that. The team has won some races in the last few years, but turning race wins into a championship tilt is the next challenge. With such a young driver line up next year, there are solid foundations to build upon. It is an exciting prospect to be part of. 

Troy Bundy – Grove Racing CEO:  

Garth is an invaluable member of our leadership team, working closely with David Cauchi and Grant McPherson to achieve our strategic objectives. His role is crucial not only in reinforcing our on-track success but also in advancing our commercial initiatives to support the program’s overall goals. 

Garth’s contributions are essential in driving our current projects forward and laying a strong foundation for future growth and innovation. His expertise and strategic insights significantly enhance our team’s effectiveness and position us for sustained success. 

David Cauchi – Grove Racing Team Principal: 

Garth has played a key role in the growth of Grove Racing since joining us in 2023. The value he adds inside the car speaks for itself.  

Outside of the car, he has played an important role in supporting Matt through his first two years in the championship and this will be extended to Kai in 2025 and beyond.  

Garth also contributes significantly to the leadership team and is a key asset for our partners. I look forward to continuing our relationship with Garth and developing our team into the future.