How Cauchi exit could effect Penrite Racing
Amidst all of the change throughout the Supercars paddock this off season, Penrite Racing are perhaps one of the more stable outfits heading into 2026.
However, there is one sizeable change coming to the Braeside operation. That is, they will be without their leader in former Team Principal David Cauchi.
It's no coincidence that Grove Racing's rapid rise up the Supercars ranks has come in the exact same time frame of Cauchi's tenure at the head of on-track operations.
That winning mentality, nurtured by the most winningest Supercars organisation of all-time in Triple Eight, was exactly the sort of thing that Stephen Grove knew he needed to turn around what was a midfield operation not all that long ago.
A statement of intent
Announced on the eve of the Sydney swing of the 2021 Repco Supercars Championship, Cauchi was the Grove family's first big signing since they completed their full buyout of Kelly Racing. The team was rebranded as Kelly Grove Racing for 2021 after the Groves bought their initial 50% share of the team.
Stephen Grove said at the time of Cauchi's signing: “Once we went through the ownership changes, it was essential that we found the best possible person we could to help take on some of Todd [Kelly's] critical roles, and we believe we have found that person in Cauchi.
“He has vast experience and know that he will fit well into the family culture of the team."
Amidst legal rangling with former employers Triple Eight Race Engineering, Cauchi made his start at the team midway through 2022, and it's plain to see the team have come on in leaps and bounds during his tenure.
Breakthroughs, and an investment for the future
Kelly Grove Racing finished eighth in the 2021 teams' championship, despite Andre Heimgartner claiming a superb maiden win at a rainy Tailem Bend. Fast forward 12 months, and they had climbed up to fifth, with David Reynolds becoming a regular podium threat.
After Lee Holdsworth had a farewell tour in 2022, the Groves installed a young Kiwi to step up in the retired 2021 Bathurst winner's place for the debut of Gen3 in 2023..
Matt Payne was something of an unknown when he arrived in Australia with the Porsche Team New Zealand scholarship in 2021, but such was the impression he made in Carrera Cup, that the Grove family placed him in an ex-Kelly Nissan for the final two rounds of the year's Super2 season.
His speed was immediately apparent, and wins came in 2022. His first Supercars race win in Adelaide was a perfect exclamation mark to put on his maiden season, and came just weeks after David Reynolds claimed the Groves' first win as outright team owners on the Gold Coast.
But, by that stage Reynolds was confirmed to be leaving at season's end. That left Payne to step up and lead the team in 2024, winning another race in Townsville.
From challengers to contenders
Few could've expected what was to come last year for Penrite Racing.
Payne went to another level once again, winning five races for the year, including runs to both the Jason Richards Memorial Trophy on home soil and the Peter Brock Trophy at Bathurst.
However, whilst Payne was the dominant Broc Feeney's closest competitor for most of the season, it was his rookie teammate Kai Allen who suddenly emerged as the one going for the championship, courtesy of a second half blitz.
Allen's run went all the way to the Grand Final, with Payne playing rear gunner after he was knocked out of the title hunt in dramatic fashion at the Sandown Semi Final.
The rookie's sensational start to life in Supercars helped push Penrite Racing to best of the rest behind an all-conquering Red Bull Ampol Racing in the team's championship last year, the team's best ever result.
What comes next?
No replacement Team Principal has been named to replace Cauchi, with CEO Brenton Grove notably stepping up his presence in the media at the back end of the season.
"I'm not sure what the Cauch-man is doing at the moment, he's probably a couch man, he's not doing much," quipped Allen when Supercars.com asked how much of an impact Cauchi had in his stunning rookie season.
"He was so good. To have him leading the team's direction, I think the team was doing a great job, and as for him he shows very professional ways of doing his job, I think he was great for that.
"I think it's good to look at change, and I think it's good for him to maybe look at different things. From our point of view I don't think it's going to change too much."
Another change is the acquisition of Riccardo Corte - formerly of the Scuderia Ferrari Formula One team - who will become Allen's Race Engineer. Alistair McVean moves into an overarching role as Head of Performance.
Apart from those changes, Penrite Racing maintain stability at a time where the top end of town is undergoing potentially more changes than ever before.
With such little change year-on-year save for Cauchi, Allen even fired a warning shot to the likes of Triple Eight and Walkinshaw TWG Racing, who undergo wholesale changes with manufacturer switches.
"The Groves have done a great job with the team, they've got a lot of good people around us to make sure that we do the best job that we can this year, even not having Cauchi here," Allen said.
"I'm confident, I think the team is in a great spot, probably the best that I've seen them to be honest, not having a lot of prep to do compared to other teams. I think they're in a really healthy way coming into Sydney.
"I'm absolutely pumped to see what 2026 holds."
Cauchi took Penrite Racing from the midpack to the front of the field in just three and a half years. It would perhaps be the ultimate tribute should they reach the summit in their first season without him.
