It was announced earlier today that the five-time Bathurst 1000 winner had declined an endurance driver contract extension with T8.

His new home has swiftly been revealed, with Tander signing on with Ford squad Grove Racing for the 2023 Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000.

The Blue Oval move is significant given that Tander is among the legendary Holden drivers from the modern era.

While he tested Ford Supercars hardware before landing his first race seat, he has been loyal to the Holden brand ever since debuting with Garry Rogers Motorsport in 1998.

He last raced a Ford-powered car when he won the Australian Formula Ford Championship the previous year.

As a Holden driver he won a Supercars crown for the factory-supported HSV Dealer Team in 2007 and five Bathurst 1000s, including three as a full-blown factory Holden driver.

The first two were in 2009 and 2011 during his stint with the famous Holden Racing Team, the last coming in 2020 for Triple Eight, in what was the final appearance for a factory Holden team at Mount Panorama.

As part of this Grove Racing deal, Tander’s son Sebastian Tander will join the Grove Junior Team for a tilt in the Australian Kart Championship next year.

Tander Senior, meanwhile, will also have a mentoring role within the Grove Junior programme working with the likes of karter Mika LeMasurier and Porsche Sprint Challenge driver Oscar Targett.

Tander will also mentor former Grove Junior Matt Payne, who will step up from Super2 to the main…