![\"Davison](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/Supercars-SydneyMotorsportPark-603-copy.jpg\")
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGarth Tander (left) presents Will Davison with a Supercars pole position cheque. Image: InSyde Media<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGarth Tander (left) presents Will Davison with a Supercars pole position cheque. Image: InSyde Media<\/p>\n
Davison replaces the now-retired Tander at Grove Racing alongside Matthew Payne in the #19 Ford Mustang.<\/p>\n
Tander\u2019s full-time Supercars career was headlined by the 2007 championship and three Bathurst 1000 wins across 2000, 2009 and 2011.<\/p>\n
After being unceremoniously forced into retirement when he was let go by Garry Rogers Motorsport at the end of 2018, Tander turned his attention to co-driving.<\/p>\n
In seven starts as a co-driver, he won the Bathurst 1000 on three occasions \u2013 2020, 2022, and most recently in 2025 with Grove Racing.<\/p>\n
Davison, who won the 2009 Bathurst 1000 with Tander, said he spoke with his former Holden Racing Team stablemate about their respective full-time careers coming to an unceremonious end.<\/p>\n
\u201cI reckon up until about last year, if he was in one of the top teams out there, he\u2019d still be a challenger for a championship, let alone five years ago when he was let go,\u201d said Davison of Tander.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat just spoke volumes of the sport sometimes \u2013 someone of his calibre, to not be on the grid when he was just still performing at such a high level was just criminal, really.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut that\u2019s the sport. No one cares for your hard luck stories \u2013 but I think he then brought that frustration to his co-driver performances.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s been phenomenal since and, being able to add three more Bathurst wins to his name since then, that\u2019s pretty motivating to me to try and replicate something like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tander\u2019s exit from Garry Rogers Motorsport came as naming rights sponsor Peter Adderton pushed for Richie Stanaway to join the team alongside James Golding.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve spoken to Garth about it and said he was pissed off at the way things went,\u201d said Davison.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut he brought that into his performance to really prove a point when he got back in the car, just to bring that focus when you get back in as a co-driver.<\/p>\n
\u201cGarth\u2019s done that incredibly well, it\u2019s very motivating to try match that kind of attitude and performance.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dick Johnson Racing\u2019s decision to axe Davison in favour of rookie Rylan Gray came late in the 2025 season.<\/p>\n
It left Davison with very few options and attempts to continue full-time were ultimately unsuccessful.<\/p>\n
Nevertheless, the 43-year-old said he still believes he has a lot to offer.<\/p>\n
\u201cI probably could have stretched another year or two and been competitive,\u201d said Davison.<\/p>\n
\u201cUltimately, there\u2019s a lot more to life and I still want to make sure I\u2019m at my A-game as a co-driver for a few years so I can really bring a big performance to Grove and Matt Payne, to help them get that big victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to just be out there making up numbers. I\u2019m obviously there now to challenge with a great shot at the win and I still feel like I\u2019m going to be in good shape to really play my part there.<\/p>\n
\u201cI do know, given a few factors, that if I were in the right opportunity this year, I\u2019d still be up there with any of them. I\u2019ve got no doubt about it.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of the things I know from last year are frustrating, but that\u2019s the sport, so it\u2019s all good.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m at peace with the way it works sometimes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davison will race full-time in GT World Challenge Australia powered by AWS, which begins at Phillip Island on March 27-29.<\/p>\n
![\"\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/03\/294243.gif\")