Australian motorsport legend Garry Rogers, a Supercars Hall-of-Famer who launched the careers of many of the biggest names in Aussie racing, has died at the age of 80.
A titan of the sport with a career spanning over 60 years, Rogers made his mark as both a driver and team owner.
After a driving career behind the wheel of sports sedans, Garry Rogers Motorsport was originally founded out of a Nissan dealership he owned in Melbourne. Since then and under his stewardship, the team went on to compete across a number of motorsport disciplines and foster the talents of some of the greatest Australian drivers.
The Garry Rogers Motorsport team released a statement today, October 23, saying:
Today we’re mourning the passing of our founder and leader Garry Rogers. But more than that we’re celebrating his incredible life.
His mantra was always to press on and get on with things, and that’s exactly what we will be doing.
Garry was an amazing man with a deep love for his family, his horses and his motorsport.
He lived a fast life, but always had time for his family, his kids and his grandchildren. He put others first and was generous with his time and in so many other ways.
Garry was a strong supporter of the Fred Hollows Foundation – if you’d like to donate in memory of Garry, we’d be so very appreciative.
Our thoughts are with Garry’s family, his wife Kaye, son Barry and daughters Michelle and Krissie.
Rest in peace, Garry Rogers, 1945-2025.
Rogers was renowned as a talent-spotter, and the likes of Steven Richards, Garth Tander, Jamie Whincup, Scott McLaughlin, Jason Bargwanna, and Lee Holdsworth all spent time honing their skills at GRM. Indeed, on each step of the 2025 Bathurst 1000 podium stood a driver that once represented the team.
The team’s own pinnacle motorsport achievement came in 2000 when Tander and Bargwanna won the Bathurst 1000 behind the wheel of GRM’s Holden Commodore VT. The Mount Panorama dominance continued at the Bathurst 24 Hour in 2002 and 2003, which the team won with the Holden Monaro 427C.
A mainstay of the Australian Touring Car/Supercars Championship from 1996 to 2019, racing Holden and Volvo chassis, the team turned its focus to the TCR Australia Touring Car Series from 2019 onwards.
Former GRM driver Scott McLaughlin led the tributes online, penning a touching tribute to his former team principal:
Gaz, you were a tough bugger but you taught me how to be myself, to be comfortable with the media and the fans, to drive a race car without getting distracted by little things out of my control, to never give up.
You taught me how to treat the guys and girls on my team with respect and how to get the most out of them along with being tough. You made sure I looked after my girls and made sure I had a life off the track as much as I did on the track.
I remember leaving to join Penske, you had nothing but good words and good wishes for me, always keeping in touch and texting me the right stuff whenever you knew I needed it. We regularly kept in contact and I’m forever grateful for that.
If it wasn’t for Garry Rogers I wouldn’t be where I am today, he gave me and so many others a shot to make it, good or bad.
This weekend, Supercars will honour Rogers at the Gold Coast 500 held from October 24-26, with a moments’ silence to be held before Saturday’s 250km race and teams set to run tribute stickers on their cars.
A statement from Supercars CEO James Warburton reads:
Vale Garry Rogers
Supercars is deeply saddened by the passing of Garry Rogers, one of the most passionate, loyal, and colourful figures in Australian motorsport.
Across more than five decades, Garry’s impact on our sport was extraordinary — from his own racing days in the 1960s and 70s, to building one of the most respected and enduring teams in the Supercars paddock. His induction into the Supercars Hall of Fame in 2015 recognised not only his longevity, but the indelible mark he left on generations of drivers, teams, and fans.
Garry was renowned for spotting and nurturing raw talent. The likes of Garth Tander, Jamie Whincup, and Scott McLaughlin — among so many others — began their Supercars journeys under his guidance. His eye for potential, his belief in youth, and his trademark straight-talking humour made him one of the most loved and admired team owners our sport has ever known.
On each step of the Bathurst 1000 podium earlier this month stood a driver who once represented Garry Rogers Motorsport — a fitting reflection of his enduring legacy and influence.
Garry will be remembered not only as a racer and a team boss, but as a true character — larger than life, fiercely loyal, and utterly devoted to the sport he loved.
On behalf of everyone at Supercars, we extend our deepest condolences to Barry Rogers, Garry’s wider family, friends, and all at Garry Rogers Motorsport.
