Garry Rogers Motorsport - The Early Years

The Early Years

Garry Rogers Motorsport has its origins in Garry Rogers' own exploits in Sports Sedans during the late 1960s and the 1970s. In the mid-1970s Rogers got more serious, running a BDA Escort in Sports Sedans with some success, before moving onto an ex-Ian Geoghegan Holden Monaro. Around this time, in late 1978, Rogers also moved into the Australian Touring Car Championship as a privateer in an ex-Bob Jane Holden Torana. He ran through until the end of 1979 in touring cars before turning his attention back to Sports Sedans, putting in a big effort in the 1981 Australian Sports Sedan Championship.

The team disbanded while Rogers concentrated on business and drove for other teams until GRM re-emerged in 1986 when he ran a Bob Jane backed BMW 635CSi throughout that year's touring car season. The year included a win in one of the AMSCAR Series races at Amaroo Park. After spending 1987 on ice, the team came back in late-1988 with a Commodore at Bathurst sharing the drive with John Andretti. The Commodore was also run throughout the 1989 Australian Touring Car Championship. In the early 1990s GRM turned its attention to the Calder Park Thunderdome and the AUSCAR series running Ford Falcons during the category's heyday. At first, Rogers drove the car himself alongside Paul Fordham. Garry slowly eased himself out of regular driving, putting Steven Richards in the seat. In this time the team also competed in Production Car racing at events such as the Winton 300 and Bathurst 12 Hour. The team used a Nissan Pulsar and a 300ZX due to Rogers' links with Nissan (he owns a Nissan dealership in Melbourne). Rogers also ran and then assisted Formula Ford teams during the 1990s, helping title sponsor Valvoline's promotion of Australian motorsport.