A sixth Bathurst 1000 victory was all Garth Tander needed to feel comfortable to make a call on his future.
The 48-year-old on Saturday morning announced he would be hanging up the helmet for good, opening the door for a widely-expected move into full-time commentary in 2026.
To go with his six Bathurst crowns, is the 2007 championship, and 58 race wins.
READ MORE: Orchestrated for them’: Raiders boss fumes over ‘very lucky’ Broncos draw
READ MORE: Exiled Aussie boxer’s fight against ban for ’embarrassing’ act
READ MORE: ‘Won’t sit back’: Broncos boss defiant on Haas’ R360 link
Only four other drivers have won more races than Tander in their careers – Craig Lowndes, Jamie Whincup, Mark Skaife and Shane van Gisbergen.Tander said his sixth Bathurst title, won with Matt Payne only last month, made the decision to retire easier.
“I’m really, really comfortable with the decision and the timing,” he told Fox Sports.
Matthew Payne celebrates with co driver Garth Tander (L) after they won the 2025 Bathurst 1000. Getty
“I’m not sure you could go out on a higher high than winning that race, particularly this years edition of Bathurst.
“The way the whole day played out and the result was fantastic. If you keep rolling, everyone expects you to keep going … but then you’re chasing something.
“I took every aspect of it in as though you’re enjoying it for the last time.
“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’.”
Although that race win did help lead him to his decision, Tander confirmed he did not formally come to terms with his retirement until the weeks after Bathurst.
“It’s not totally a mic drop,” he said.
“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.
Garth Tander co-driver of the #19 Penrite Racing Ford Mustang GT looks on during the 2025 Bathurst 1000. Getty
“I never fully made the final decision until probably a week or two after Bathurst. I’ve been really, really fortunate. Incredibly fortunate.
“I’m really proud of building teams and being part of teams,” Tander added.
“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.
“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.”
Tander had previously suggested he intends to remain involved with the Grove Racing team he has spent the past two years with in a driver mentor and development role.