VALE Garry Rogers
Australian motorsport has lost one of its most revered, popular and irreverent characters in Garry Rogers, who passed away on 23 October, aged 80. The founder of Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM), Rogers spent 24 years in the Supercars Championship before moving GRM into the TCR Australia Series, Trans Am and other categories. Rogers was also a longtime supporter of young driving talent.
GRM released the following statement on 23 October:
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.
As a driver, Rogers started in 1963, racing ‘Humpy Holdens’ in Appendix J, before making a mark in Sports Sedans, then moving into the Australian Touring Car Championship. Rogers made his Bathurst 1000 debut in 1978, with his best result - fourth in a VC Commodore – achieved in 1981.
Although he dialled back his driving ambitions in the 1980s to focus on running the Nissan dealership he owned, Rogers still made regular starts at Bathurst, with sporadic appearances in the ATCC, Australian Endurance Championship, AUSCAR and other motorsport categories.
As a team, GRM entered Supercars in 1996 with a single car entry, expanding to two cars in 1998 when Jason Bargwanna and Garth Tander formed the driver lineup.
The highlight for GRM came in 2000, when Tander finished runner-up in the championship and partnered Bargwanna to victory in the Bathurst 1000. Other drivers on GRM’s roster over 24 years in Supercars included Jamie Whincup, Lee Holdsworth, Michael Caruso, Cameron McConville and Scott McLaughlin.
Most of GRM’s time in Supercars was spent in Holdens, although they did run the Volvo S60 from 2014 to 2016. GRM also developed and built the Monaro 427C that won the Bathurst 24 Hour in 2002 and 2003.
Inducted into the Supercars Hall of Fame in 2015, Rogers and GRM exited Supercars at the end of 2019, turning the team’s talents to TCR Australia and Trans Am. Rogers also brought the S5000 open wheel category to Australia.
A funeral service for Garry Rogers was held in Melbourne on 6 November, where his coffin was decorated with his signature #34 and controversial ‘HOON’ numberplate.
Garry Rogers is survived by wife Kaye, son Barry, and daughters Michelle and Krissie. JUST CARS extends its sympathises to Rogers’s family, friends and colleagues.
