Supercars appoints permanent play-by-play commentator

Long-time motorsport commentator Richard Craill will serve as the new "voice of Supercars," having been appointed permanent play-by-play commentator of the Repco Supercars Championship.

Craill has extensive experience across the Australasian motorsport scene, particularly behind the microphone, and will formally jump in the hot seat at next weekend’s NTI Townsville 500.

Six-time Bathurst 1000 winner Garth Tander will join Craill in the booth as colour analyst for all Supercars races, with plans for occasional guest commentary including former Supercars champions James Courtney, Mark Winterbottom, and others.

“An opportunity like this is something you work towards for your entire career and it's unlike anything I ever expected to be able to do, so it's absolutely not something you take for granted,” Craill said.

“My personal motorsport heroes weren't just the drivers I followed when I was growing up, but the iconic broadcasters who told their stories. They're the reason I initially set out in this career and why I love our sport so much.

“To have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps is very surreal and I'll be doing everything I can to make sure I do justice to them, the people I work with in the incredible TV team who have supported me and our sport overall.”

The Barossa Valley native is a very familiar voice to race fans, having called virtually all top tier motorsport across the continent, including the Australian Grand Prix on Network Ten, the Meguiar’s Bathurst 12 Hour, Shannons Speedseries, New Zealand’s Repco NextGen Championship, and more.

Craill has featured in support race commentary on Supercars broadcasts for many years, and took the reins as Supercars play-by-play lead at April’s ITM New Zealand Double Header in Taupō and Christchurch earlier this year.

“It is an incredible time to be coming into the seat, with the level of racing and the depth of competition Supercars are enjoying at the moment,” Craill added.

“I love the racing and I love the contests, but most of all I love our sport for the stories it produces and there's no shortage of those unfolding around us at this stage of the season.

“We're going into every weekend with little clue of who's going to win the trophies and that is the best possible thing for us, for the people at the track and everyone watching at home.”

Fellow commentators Chad Neylon and Matt Naulty – who have shared Supercars play-by-play duties across the 2026 season to date – will continue to feature prominently on the mic in Supercars broadcasts.

Neylon will take on an enhanced on-screen role, while both he and Naulty will continue presenting Supercars sessions and support races.

Supercars will race all three days at the NTI Townsville 500, with North Queensland’s largest annual sporting event hitting the track July 10-12.

Live coverage from the streets of Townsville can be found on Fox Sports, available on Kayo SPORTS, with free-to-air coverage on Seven and 7plus.