{"id":451777,"date":"2026-05-29T22:30:21","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:30:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/451777\/"},"modified":"2026-05-29T22:30:21","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T22:30:21","slug":"supercars-news-supercars-to-name-sole-lead-commentator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/451777\/","title":{"rendered":"Supercars news: Supercars to name sole lead commentator"},"content":{"rendered":"

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Supercars
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tSupercars is looking to lock in a permanent lead caller. Image: InSyde Media<\/p>\n

Following the off-season departures of Neil Crompton and Mark Skaife, Supercars Media has been holding an extended audition process across the start of this year.<\/p>\n

Chad Neylon, Richard Craill and Matt Naulty have rotated through the lead caller chair alongside new expert comments caller Garth Tander.<\/p>\n

It has been a two-round rotation with Neylon calling Sydney and Albert Park, Craill the New Zealand double-header while Naulty made his debut in Tasmania and will also call Darwin.<\/p>\n

After that, however, it is expected that one of the three will be handed the lead commentator role on a permanent basis.<\/p>\n

According to Supercars interim CEO Barclay Nettlefold, that decision will be left entirely to Supercars Media boss Nathan Prendergast.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s Nathan Prendergast\u2019s call,\u201d said Nettlefold.<\/p>\n

\u201cI had dinner with him [before Tasmania] and basically said you need to present your final line-up, including your enduro line-up, and we should have that by Darwin.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

The chosen commentator will permanently lead the call with Tander and in some cases, mostly longer races, a second expert caller such as James Courtney or Mark Winterbottom.<\/p>\n

Where the picture is complicated is for the two endurance events when Courtney and Winterbottom will be absent due to their driving duties.<\/p>\n

That means additional talent will need to be called in, opening the door for potential cameos from Crompton and Skaife.<\/p>\n

The latter is particularly likely top feature given Skaife\u2019s ongoing connections to primary broadcaster Fox Sports through the new Motor Racing 360 magazine show.<\/p>\n

\u201cMark is certainly is available,\u201d said Nettlefold.<\/p>\n

\u201cBut again, let\u2019s get through the first six rounds, let Nathan review, let him work out who\u2019s right for his team in his view, and let him own it.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019ll make a better decision than I will.\u201d<\/p>\n

Supercars wants Neil Crompton in CEO race<\/a><\/p>\n

As well as the commentary changes for this year, the Supercars broadcast product underwent another major shift with a new production partner in NEP.<\/p>\n

It has been far from smooth sailing, though, with graphics gaffes a common theme during the broadcasts so far this season.<\/p>\n

According to Nettlefold the issues haven\u2019t gone unnoticed by Supercars and are part of a wider de-bugging push that includes getting on top of new on-board camera technology.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s teething problems from the new provider and the new systems,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n

\u201c[The graphics] are getting closer now to getting 100 percent accurate, but I can\u2019t say much more than that.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve taken on a whole seismic change to the way we\u2019re producing [the broadcast], including the in-car cameras.<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd even then we\u2019re still waiting for our hamburger [cameras] to rotate, we\u2019re still waiting for the [rear-facing] cameras to rotate, and there\u2019s still been too much vibration in the in the in-car cameras.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re working on it, we\u2019re fixing it. There\u2019s certainly full attention on getting everything right.\u201d<\/p>\n


\"\"\/
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