Retired Percat keen to replicate Tander's Bathurst heroics
Retired Nick Percat keen to replicate Garth Tander heroics
Tander won Bathurst three times after exiting full-time arena
Percat to race with Broc Feeney in 2026 enduros
Nick Percat is looking to old friend Garth Tander to make a splash post-retirement.
Percat exited the full-time Supercars arena after the bp Adelaide Grand Final, bringing an end to an 11-year run in the main game.
The South Aussie-born driver burst onto the scene alongside Tander in a stunning triumph at Mount Panorama in 2011.
At that stage, Tander was an established full-timer and Supercars champion, with Percat aged just 23.
As Percat rose to the main game in 2014, Tander continued on with the Holden Racing Team before moving to Garry Rogers Motorsport in 2017.
Tander’s full-time career came to an abrupt end in 2019, and was quickly signed alongside Shane van Gisbergen at Triple Eight Race Engineering.
Between 2019 and 2025, Tander added three more Bathurst victories to his decorated CV before he called time shortly after winning No. 6 with Matt Payne in October.
Percat paid tribute to Tander, saying it would be “amazing” to achieve even half of what he did.
“Garth’s been amazing. He helped me out a lot when I was a young up-and-comer, I was probably extremely annoying,” Percat said at the Gala Awards.
“That whole period through the Walkinshaw time, I can’t forget Ryan, Martine [Walkinshaw], and everyone that was involved in that time. To throw me in that car was crazy.
“To win with Garth and everything he’s done, throughout that whole period and into the future, was amazing. If I can do half of what he’s done, it would be amazing.”
Percat has signed on with Triple Eight alongside Broc Feeney, who was the benchmark driver in 2025.
Feeney is chasing his first Bathurst victory, having fallen short in each of the last four years.
In 2022, Feeney/Jamie Whincup recovered from a lap 1 spin to finish fifth, before a mechanical issue cut short a potential winning effort in 2023. In 2024, Feeney was pipped to the win by Brodie Kostecki.
Percat watched on in October after an early engine failure, with Feeney crashing at Forrest’s Elbow.
When asked if he could add to his Bathurst win tally, Percat joked: “No pressure Broc, just get it across the line in first and we’ll chalk a few more up.”
On Feeney himself, Percat added: “Working with someone like Broc, who puts so much into it off track, is what I’m excited to see."
