Stanaway's rocky road to 100 Supercars races

It may have seemed unlikely back in the depths of 2019, but Richie Stanaway will became the latest driver to reach a century of Supercars race starts.

The PremiAir Racing driver is set to hit 100 Supercars races in the finale of the upcoming Snowy River Caravans Tasmania Super 440.

It has been a rollercoaster ride to 100 starts for the 33-year-old, highlighted by victories in the Bathurst 1000 and Sandown 500, mixed with some devastating and unexpected lows.

Ahead of Stanaway's 100th race, Supercars.com goes for a trip down memory lane to celebrate the Kiwi's career in Australia.

Debut, Sandown 2016

Born in Tauranga, Stanaway was originally from a motocross background, before pursing Europe and Formula 1. After a victorious run through the ladder, Stanaway landed in Australia alongside Chris Pither for the 2016 Enduro Cup.

Driving a satellite Prodrive Racing Australia (now Tickford Racing) Falcon, Stanaway made an impressive debut alongside Pither, climbing their way to third with dry tyres on a damp track. All told, they dropped a lap and finished 17th in a bruising race, before coming home 12th in Bathurst.

First win, Sandown 2017

Stanaway's stocks rose rapidly, winning the final race of the Sydney weekend on his Super2 debut in 2017. Just weeks later, he partnered with Cam Waters to win the Sandown 500 from pole position. For Stanaway, it was victory in just his fifth Supercars start.

In Bathurst, Stanaway was one of the stars of the show, leading the race through inclement weather. It all fell to pieces late on, with Waters suffering damage after a chaotic Safety Car restart. They finished 16th, three laps down.

Waters and Stanaway rebounded to finish second in the first race of the Gold Coast 600, with Tickford announcing in December that Stanaway would drive full-time in 2018.

Turbulent debut season, 2018

It wasn't the debut season Stanaway wanted, however. The season ended with Stanaway 25th overall with a single top 10 to his name.

Tickford was mired in the midfield for much of the season, and running the team's fourth car, Stanaway never truly looked like firing a shot.

It led to some tough moments, such as frustrated Stanaway's drifting display late in Townsville raising the ire of Tickford management.

Rollercoaster leads to retirement, 2019

In 2019, Stanaway moved to Garry Rogers Motorsport.

It didn't go to plan either in what was GRM's final season, Stanaway aggravating a previous neck injury and missing seven races. He was then stood down at the Gold Coast 600 for missing an signing session.

After a difficult two years in Supercars, Stanaway retired after the Newcastle finale.

Out of wilderness with wildcard, Bathurst 2022

In 2021, Boost Mobile founder Peter Adderton floated the idea of running a wildcard entry for Stanaway and four-time Bathurst winner Greg Murphy at the Mountain.

It gained traction amongst fans, convincing Stanaway and Murphy to return. It was set to be Stanaway's first start since 2019, and Murphy's first since 2014.

The wildcard was postponed to 2022 amid the COVID-19 pandemic, and Stanaway made his chance count. The Kiwi qualified fifth in trying conditions, before racing to 11th with Murphy.

Great Race glory, Bathurst 2023

With Garth Tander off to Penrite Racing, Triple Eight called on Stanaway to partner Shane van Gisbergen for the enduros. The result? Third at Sandown from down the order, and victory in Bathurst.

It was a stunning return to the big time for Stanaway, who was signed to help van Gisbergen stay at the top of the sport. In the first year of the Gen3 era, Stanaway was a perfect foil for van Gisbergen.

After charging through the field at Sandown, the duo won the Great Race in a canter, reducing Stanaway to tears and leaving van Gisbergen delighted to deliver a stunning win for his countryman.

Luckless return, 2024

Stanaway had signed with Penrite Racing for 2024, replacing David Reynolds, before the 2023 enduros got underway.

The early signs were there, Stanaway sitting in the top 10 for the opening rounds. However, Penrite Racing's inconsistence reared its head, and Stanaway quickly fell down the order.

The team later moved to cut ties with Stanaway to sign rising star Kai Allen, yet Stanaway impressed to be quick in the enduros, leading Ford's charge for much of Bathurst.

The year ended in heartbreak, though, with Stanaway denied a chance to race in Adelaide after being concussed in a qualifying crash at Turn 8.

Another chance, 2025

By then, PremiAir Racing had signed Stanaway to replace the retiring Tim Slade.

An engine failure in Sydney and being taken out of contention in Melbourne left Stanaway playing catch-up, before he found signs of solid car speed on home soil at Taupō.

Stanaway is set to record his 100th start in Race 13 of the season in Tasmania on Sunday May 11. Tickets for the event are on sale now.