‘I may miss driving a little bit’: Tander opens up on 28-year Bathurst first

There's something different about this year's Bathurst 1000.

When pit lane opens for the first practice sessions later today, Garth Tander won't be behind the wheel.

Shortly after winning last year's Great Race with Matt Payne, Tander called time on an illustrious Supercars career that delivered him the 2007 championship and six victories at Mount Panorama.

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It'll be the first time Tander's name is absent from the entry sheet in almost three decades, having made his first Bathurst appearance in 1998.

Not that retirement has left him any less busy.

"I am still preparing for the race," he tells the Fox Sports Pit Talk podcast. "I've just got a very different role this year than what I've had for the last 28 years.

"First time not driving at Bathurst for quite some time, since 1998 - it will be a different feeling, certainly."

PIT TALK PODCAST: Ahead of this weekend's Bathurst 1000, we catch up with reigning winner Garth Tander and reigning champion and Enduro Cup leader Chaz Mostert. | Listen to Pit Talk here | Watch Pit Talk on YouTube >

Are there any pangs of regret? Of mixed emotions?

"I haven't missed driving all year," he says. "But I have a feeling that when it really matters at Bathurst and the drivers are driving out and getting to enjoy that incredible 6.214km of tarmac on the side of Mount Panorama, I may miss driving a little bit just then.

"But I'm looking forward to being part of the broadcast for Fox Sports. It's a very rewarding way - being part of the broadcast, that is - to still be connected to the sport."

There are few drivers better qualified to provide expert commentary for the biggest race on the Supercars calendar.

Tander has six Bathurst victories, three of which he won in his own car as a full-timer and another three of which he collected as a co-driver.

He's had five different driving partners across those six wins, doing the double only with Shane van Gisbergen in 2020 and 2022.

The victories have come with three different teams, from Garry Rogers Motorsport, Holden Racing Team, Triple Eight and, most recently, Grove.

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He's been there and done that, and he knows what it takes to win the Great Race.

"The key is putting yourself in a position to be in the hunt and not getting caught up with burning a whole lot of energy early in the race week," he says.

"It's a long week. You often get to town Monday or Tuesday before the event. You start on track Thursday, and then obviously practice Thursday, practice and qualifying Friday, more practice and the shootout Saturday, so it's very easy when you wake up on Sunday morning to be fatigued before you even actually start a 1000km of racing, which is the most important 1000km you do of the year.

"Early days I wanted to be fastest every lap, every session - every time you're in the car you want to be fastest - but reality is all you've got to be is in the hunt with 30 or 40 laps to go at the end of the race on Sunday afternoon."

His final Bathurst victory was the epitome of that approach.

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Despite starting the race with Payne in 18th, patience in the first half of the race opened opportunities to finish with ferocious and ultimately race-winning pace.

"We ran the first hour of the race between 10th and 15th, and all we needed to do was get ourselves in the right position at the right time throughout the race to give ourselves a chance.

"That's all you can do at Bathurst.

"You keep giving yourself a chance and keep putting yourself in the right position, then ultimately one day it might go your way."

This year there are 26 driver pairings hoping that Sunday will be the day it goes their way.

Tander will remain a key part of the Bathurst 1000 weekend, but for the first time in 28 years, he won't be among them.