As the driver introductions rolled out at the 2012 edition of the Gold Coast 600, there stood a worn-out, utterly damaged #33 Fujitsu Racing GRM Commodore. It was owner Garry Rogers being Garry Rogers. Despite being ruled out for the weekend after a four-car collision the previous day, he was right there with the remains, in his Hawaiian T-shirt, indulging in the pre-race antics with a sly smile on his face.

From his competitors to commentators, that is the Garry Rogers who pops up in every memory: fun, enthusiastic, and, per a few, ‘bloody hilarious’. It was the Garry Rogers, beyond his motorsports persona, that was remembered in every message of tribute as he took his last breath on Thursday, aged 80. The cause of death hasn’t been disclosed by the family, but NBC announcer Leigh Diffey was one of the first ones to learn the news.

“This is a truly sad day. His daughter Krissie texted me with the news & it was a gut punch. Garry’s passion, enthusiasm, sense of humor, ability to give young drivers opportunities & make them stars & most of all his general care & interest in people will be so sadly missed. 💔” he shared on X.

Diffey, an Australian native, was only starting out his career in broadcasting in 1997, when Rogers was taking the reins as an owner at Garry Rogers Motorsports. He announced at the Supercars for about three years before moving to the UK for Superbike. But Rogers’ presence in the Australian motorsports was too huge to slip by anyone.

The man behind GRM, who mandated his entire crew to wear Hawaiian T-shirts at every Gold Coast and showed up in costumes — from Prince Charles and Christopher Skase to Bill Clinton — at just about any Supercars event, also ensured quite the grip on his team.

Since the team’s debut at Supercars in 1998 to months before its exit in 2019, GRM had accumulated 23 Supercars Championship races and taken 68 podiums.

Top Stories

NASCAR to Cut Ties with NBC Network? Everything to Know About Versant

Kyle Busch and Samantha Sue 157-Yo Insurance Company After Losing $8.5 Million

NASCAR’s Indefinite Suspension of Race Winner’s Father Left Fans Speculating

Rick Hendrick Recalls Shared Personal Loss and Respect With Joe Gibbs Ahead of Phoenix Clash

Daytona 500 Moved for First Time in 10 Years Amid NASCAR’s NFL Anxiety; Fans Outraged

Beyond the V8 Supercars circuit, Rogers was also one of the few Australian team owners to engage with American stock car racing genuinely. He was involved with Chevrolet NASCAR race cars in the late 1980s and early 1990s at the Calder Park Thunderdome’s short-lived AUSCAR and NASCAR series. But what truly defined Rogers’ career was his ability to launch young talents.

Once a young and spirited driver himself at Appendix J Holdens and Sports Sedans, Rogers was hardly ever in the right car at the right time. If it was the slipping clutch one day, a break failure prevailed on other. He also had to be carted away on a stretcher after a crash in 1981 that had burst the blood vessels near his eyes. So after winning a race at Gold Coast in 95 or 96, he completely directed his focus to managing a team.

“If you’ve got talent and the right attitude, I’ll give you a go,” the dreammaker or the fairy godfather would say.

The list of drivers who launched their careers under the GRM banner is a Who’s Who of Australian motorsport, including Garth Tander, 4-time Supercars champion Jamie Whincup, and IndyCar and former Supercars star Scott McLaughlin.

Rogers’ unmistakable Iarrikin personality and wicked sense of humor, right alongside his contributions to TCR Australia and the powerful S5000 open-wheel series continues to live among those to knew him. “He would do a lot of work in the background without any need to tell people about it… A ripper guy and funny man and could tell some ripper stories from the garage,” Head of SCT Motorsport Programs Andrew Jones said, and a lot more of them echoed.

Racing community unites to honor the true pioneer of Australian racing

As the Australian motorsport and TCR community mourns, WSC President Marcello Lotti highlighted this tireless commitment, saying, “Garry has been a legend in Australian motorsport and has kept on working with endless passion until the end. He has been an example for all of us, and we must thank him for what he has done for motorsport in general and for TCR Australia of which he has been the greatest supporter.”

Lee Holdsworth, who raced for Rogers between 2005 and 2010, wrote, “Gaz you played such an huge part in my career and I’ll forever be grateful for everything you did for me and my family. You taught me that when times are tough, you pick yourself up and get on with it. That reward comes from hard work and dedication. I have so much respect for you and your family. Thank you for your friendship and for being an incredible mentor – I’ll miss you a lot.”

Reflecting on the monumental mentorship, McLaughlin’s emotional tribute sums it up, “If it wasn’t for Garry Rogers I wouldn’t be where I am today, he gave me and so many others a shot to make it, good or bad. He loved a Jameson, fair to say I’ll have a couple for you today. Gonna miss ya, but I know you would be telling me, ‘Scotty – stop with the soppy crap and get on with the job right, good.'”

Garth Tander also expressed his tribute to the titan of the industry, stating, “A sad day for Australian Motorsport. A titan of the industry, that knew how to have fun while being as hard as nails. Learnt so much from this bloke, that I still use today. RIP GR.”

The roar of his legend, a sound he created with his own two hands, will echo in the Australian motorsport valley forever.