Grove Racing, doing business under Penrite Racing, will keep five-time Bathurst champion Garth Tander on board for a few more years to come. He’ll continue to serve a crucial role for the Supercars Ford team, staying on as the organization’s Strategic Advisor and occasionally stepping behind the wheel of a Ford Mustang GT race car as codriver for certain enduro events.
Tander joined Grove Racing in 2023, parting ways with Shane van Gisbergen after the latter driver left Supercars in favor of NASCAR racing in the U.S. Tander partnered with rising star Matt Payne in 2024, mentoring the 22-year-old Supercars Ford driver throughout his first two fulltime seasons in the division.
Tander’s influence on Payne has proved successful thus far. Payne won at Adelaide last year before winning at Townsville in 2024, and he currently sits in sixth place in the overall points standings. He also shared the No. 19 Supercars Ford Mustang with Payne at Sandown and Bathurst.
“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,” Tander said in a team release.
He added, “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 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.”
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