Garth Tander's recent Bathurst 1000 victory alongside Matt Payne wasn't just another win; it was the perfect, storybook ending to an illustrious Supercars career. But, get this: Tander has officially announced his retirement from full-time Supercars driving, leaving behind a legacy etched in motorsport history.
After more than two decades of heart-stopping races, Tander is stepping away, leaving fans wondering what's next for the legend. His career boasts an impressive collection of accolades: one Supercars championship, a staggering six Bathurst 1000 victories (the 'Great Race'!), and 58 individual race wins. He's certainly earned his place among the sport's elite.
It's widely expected, although not yet officially confirmed, that Tander will transition into a full-time television commentary role next season. Imagine him bringing his expert insights and colorful personality to our screens every race weekend! Tander has already been juggling co-driving duties with his analyst role on broadcasts in recent years, proving his natural talent for dissecting the action.
At 48 years old, Tander is bowing out on a high note, having just hoisted the coveted Peter Brock Trophy with Matt Payne at Mount Panorama. "Even before the cars had even ran at Bathurst this year, I basically went as though I’m enjoying it as if it’s my last one," Tander revealed on Fox Sports. "So, I took every aspect of it in as though you’re enjoying it for the last time." He added that having his children and partner, Sian (Allison), there to share the moment made the victory even sweeter. "And obviously when we won, it was like ‘This is quite cool, this is really enjoyable’. It was a nice fitting way to say that’s it, done and dusted."
But here's where it gets controversial... Despite that epic win, Tander insists his final decision wasn't made until weeks after the race. "It’s not totally a mic drop," he clarified. "A few journos in the Sunday night press conference were going ‘I was expecting you to do the mic drop thing’, but you don’t make big decisions in those moments." He emphasized that he'd been incredibly fortunate throughout his career. He fondly recalled his debut race as a 21-year-old at Phillip Island, qualifying 16th and stalling on the grid. "Not a great start to my Supercars career, so to be able to end it like that with a win at Bathurst with Grove Racing is a much better way to finish it than the way we started."
Tander explained that making the decision to retire wasn't a difficult one. And this is the part most people miss... He's spent the last seven years as a co-driver, securing three Bathurst 1000 wins after what he described as an unceremonious end to his full-time driving career with Garry Rogers Motorsport in 2018. "I’m seven years in as a co-driver, and even when I started as a co-driver and I was at Triple Eight with Roland Dane, he said you’ve got four years and that’s it, you’re no good after that," Tander humorously recalled. "I’m really proud that in seven years as a co-driver, I won Bathurst three times with two different drivers and two different teams."
He takes immense pride in mentoring younger drivers and contributing to team development. "Pretty much everyone other than Shane (van Gisbergen) I shared with their first Bathurst win," Tander stated. "Obviously with Bargs (Jason Bargwanna) and myself it was both our first wins, with Will Davison, with Nick (Percat), with Shane, and now with Matt (Payne), to share their first wins and help them on their journey and wherever that may take them, I’m proud of that." He added, "I’m really proud of building teams and being part of teams. Certainly, over the last three years, it’s been less about driving the car and more about building the people and building the team has been more enjoyable for me."
While he admits driving is still enjoyable, Tander acknowledges his age. "Driving the car is still cool, it’s still fun, you still enjoy it, and I’ll probably still do it at some stages, jumping in for a ride day here and there, but I’m 48 now. I always said if I get north of 40 when I was young… I’ll be happy with that."
So, what do you think about Tander's decision to retire? Was it the right time, or could he have continued racing at the top level? And what are your thoughts on his potential move to full-time commentary? Will he be a valuable asset to the broadcast team? Share your opinions in the comments below!
