Known for his quirky character and humour, Rogers\u2019 involvement in the sport stretched over 60 years and included periods as a driver, team owner and series administrator.<\/p>\n
Rogers raced Sports Sedan across the 1960s and 70s before moving into touring cars and made a total of 14 Bathurst 1000 starts as a driver between 1978 and 1993.<\/p>\n
Rogers\u2019 biggest impact on the sport came as a team owner, which included running his eponymous squad in the ATCC\/Supercars Championship from 1996-2019.<\/p>\n
Garry Rogers Motorsport won the Bathurst 1000 in 2000 with Garth Tander and Jason Bargwanna \u2013 two of many youngsters to get their big career break with Rogers.<\/p>\n
Others included Steven Richards, Lee Holdsworth and Scott McLaughlin, who spearheaded GRM\u2019s period as the Volvo factory team in Supercars from 2014-16.<\/p>\n
Jamie Whincup too had his first Supercars season with Rogers, albeit he was sacked after a difficult rookie campaign in 2003.<\/p>\n
GRM also competed in other classes alongside its early Supercars efforts, most famously running Holden\u2019s Bathurst 24 Hour-winning Monaro project across 2002-03.<\/p>\n
The team left Supercars at the end of 2019 and focused its efforts on Australian Racing Group categories, which Rogers co-owned for a period.<\/p>\n
Rogers handed day-to-day control of GRM to son Barry in recent years and the team currently fields cars in the Trans Am and TCR Australia Series.<\/p>\n
Supercars CEO James Warburton paid tribute to Rogers\u2019 influence in the sport, noting the Bathurst 1000 podium earlier this month featured drivers he had once discovered. <\/p>\n
\u201cSupercars is deeply saddened by the passing of Garry Rogers, one of the most passionate, loyal, and colourful figures in Australian motorsport,\u201d Warburton said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAcross more than five decades, Garry\u2019s impact on our sport was extraordinary \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cGarry was renowned for spotting and nurturing raw talent. The likes of Garth Tander, Jamie Whincup, and Scott McLaughlin \u2014 among so many others \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn each step of the Bathurst 1000 podium earlier this month stood a driver who once represented Garry Rogers Motorsport \u2014 a fitting reflection of his enduring legacy and influence.<\/p>\n
\u201cGarry will be remembered not only as a racer and a team boss, but as a true character \u2014 larger than life, fiercely loyal, and utterly devoted to the sport he loved.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn behalf of everyone at Supercars, we extend our deepest condolences to Barry Rogers, Garry\u2019s wider family, friends, and all at Garry Rogers Motorsport.\u201d<\/p>\n