Garth Tander re-signs with Holden Racing Team ahead of home event in Perth.

The Holden Racing Team is proud to announce that V8 Supercars Champion and three-time Bathurst winner Garth Tander will continue to race for the team, after re-signing today on a multi-year deal.

The news, announced ahead of Tander’s home event in Perth this weekend, was a natural boost for the Holden factory racing team’s ambitions.

“It’s great to sign a new deal with the Holden Racing Team,” said Tander.

“It’s an exciting time for the team, with the structural changes made before the start of the season starting to bear fruit. I really believe in what we’re doing, so it’s great to be part of that.”

Tander, who made his V8 Supercars debut at Phillip Island with Garry Rogers Motorsport in 1998, is now in his 17th season – his seventh with HRT, after a three-year stint with the HSV Dealer Team.

His career stats are fearsome: more event starts with Holden than any other driver in ATCC/V8 Supercars history, and fourth on the all-time race wins list with 52 victories, including three at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst 1000.

Tander is also fifth on the all-time ATCC/V8 Supercars event starts list behind Russell Ingall, John Bowe, Craig Lowndes, and Mark Skaife.

Holden Racing Team Managing Director Adrian Burgess was excited to confirm his champion charge ahead of Tander’s home event.

“We’re over the moon with Garth re-signing, and committing the next stage of his future, to the Holden Racing Team,” said Burgess.

“Consistency within the engineering group and drivers is especially important for our long-term development.

“As a driver, he’s the total package. He’s won over 50 races, including Bathurst three times, and he’s a champion. So he’s got everything we need to help drive the engineers and the team forward.”

GM Holden Motorsport and Sponsorship Manager, Simon McNamara said Tander’s re-signing was much welcomed.

“With more championship race starts in a Holden than any other driver in our history, Garth Tander’s loyalty and dedication to Holden’s success – both on and off the race track – is second to none,” McNamara said.

“Garth is a highly-valued team member and his contribution to HRT will be crucial for its on-going and future successes, so we are delighted he has re-signed with our official factory racing team.”

Tander’s contract extension means that he and team-mate James Courtney will become HRT’s longest-serving driver pairing – and it’s one that Burgess says is working very well.

“The partnership with Garth and James is a great one,” Burgess said.

“They’ve got a lot of respect for each other. They’re both highly motivated and determined, and don’t accept second best. For me that’s important to have that element from the drivers. They get on well both off-track and on, and that’s what we need within the team at the moment.”

Tander says the new deal will provide him with an extra level of confidence at this weekend’s Perth 400, held at Barbagallo Raceway.

“I always love racing at home in Perth,” Tander said.

“So, it’s great to be able to announce the contract extension prior to the weekend because I’ve had so much support from everyone in Western Australia. Hopefully we can celebrate it with a great race weekend on-track as well.”