Grove Racing

Grove Racing was founded by businessman Stephen Grove in 2011 with a focus on racing Porsches in various categories. Having first competed in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia, the team entered the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship in 2012 with Stephen as driver in the elite class. In 2014, the team won the first of its five Bathurst 12 Hour class victories.

In 2018, Stephen's son Brenton entered the Super2 Series having also competed in Porsches. The team drafted two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Earl Bamber to co-drive with Brenton at that year's Bathurst 250 endurance race for the series. The team did not continue in the series in 2019 with Brenton moving to drive for Triple Eight Race Engineering in the series.

In 2021, Matthew Payne entered the Super2 Series for the last two rounds in a Nissan Altima L33.

In January 2021, Grove Group purchased 50% of Kelly Racing, which was rebranded Kelly Grove Racing. Six months later, Grove bought out the remainder of the team, to be known as Grove Racing from 2022.

In January 2021, Grove Group purchased 50% of Kelly Racing, which was rebranded Kelly Grove Racing. Six months later, Grove acquired the remaining shareholding, with the team competing as Grove Racing from the 2022 season onwards.

Ahead of the 2022 season, the team announced that former Supercars champion Garth Tander would join Grove Racing. Tander officially commenced his role in 2023, working as a driver advisor across both the Supercars program and the Grove Junior Team, while also becoming the team’s endurance co-driver.

For the 2022 Supercars Championship, Grove Racing fielded David Reynolds and Lee Holdsworth. Reynolds remained with the team through 2023, partnering rookie Matt Payne, who graduated from the Grove Junior Team.

Reynolds departed at the end of 2023 and was replaced by Richie Stanaway for the 2024 season. Stanaway completed a single season with the team before leaving at the end of 2024, with 2023 Super2 Series champion Kai Allen signed as his replacement for 2025.

The 2025 season marked Grove Racing’s most successful Supercars campaign to date. Payne and Allen achieved multiple podium finishes and delivered the team its first Bathurst 1000 victory, with Payne becoming one of the youngest winners in the event’s history. The win represented Grove Racing’s maiden triumph in the Bathurst classic.

In 2025, the team announced a major technical restructure for the 2026 season, including the recruitment of former Ferrari Formula One engineer Riccardo Corte as Technical Director and the promotion of Alistair McVean to Head of Performance. The team also confirmed that 2025 would be the final full-time season for Team Principal David Cauchi, who had overseen the squad’s transition from Kelly Grove Racing and played a central role in its first race win and Bathurst 1000 victory.

^ "ENTRY LIST: Carrera Cup ready for Townsville return". Speedcafe. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

^ "Grove Racing ready for 2020 outright step up". Bathurst 12 Hour. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

^ Makhoul, Joshua (4 October 2018). "Grove keen to learn from 'world class' Bamber". Supercars.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.

^ van Leeuwen, Andrew (14 January 2021). "New ownership structure for Kelly Racing". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

^ Chapman, Simon (26 July 2021). "Grove takes full ownership of KGR, Kelly to depart". Speedcafe. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

Grove Racing was founded by businessman Stephen Grove in 2011 with a focus on racing Porsches in various categories. Having first competed in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Australia, the team entered the Porsche Carrera Cup Australia Championship in 2012 with Stephen as driver in the elite class. In 2014, the team won the first of its five Bathurst 12 Hour class victories.

^ "ENTRY LIST: Carrera Cup ready for Townsville return". Speedcafe. 3 July 2012. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

^ "Grove Racing ready for 2020 outright step up". Bathurst 12 Hour. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

In 2018, Stephen's son Brenton entered the Super2 Series having also competed in Porsches. The team drafted two-time 24 Hours of Le Mans winner Earl Bamber to co-drive with Brenton at that year's Bathurst 250 endurance race for the series. The team did not continue in the series in 2019 with Brenton moving to drive for Triple Eight Race Engineering in the series.

In 2021, Matthew Payne entered the Super2 Series for the last two rounds in a Nissan Altima L33.

^ Makhoul, Joshua (4 October 2018). "Grove keen to learn from 'world class' Bamber". Supercars.com. Retrieved 8 October 2018.

In January 2021, Grove Group purchased 50% of Kelly Racing, which was rebranded Kelly Grove Racing. Six months later, Grove bought out the remainder of the team, to be known as Grove Racing from 2022.

In January 2021, Grove Group purchased 50% of Kelly Racing, which was rebranded Kelly Grove Racing. Six months later, Grove acquired the remaining shareholding, with the team competing as Grove Racing from the 2022 season onwards.

Ahead of the 2022 season, the team announced that former Supercars champion Garth Tander would join Grove Racing. Tander officially commenced his role in 2023, working as a driver advisor across both the Supercars program and the Grove Junior Team, while also becoming the team’s endurance co-driver.

For the 2022 Supercars Championship, Grove Racing fielded David Reynolds and Lee Holdsworth. Reynolds remained with the team through 2023, partnering rookie Matt Payne, who graduated from the Grove Junior Team.

Reynolds departed at the end of 2023 and was replaced by Richie Stanaway for the 2024 season. Stanaway completed a single season with the team before leaving at the end of 2024, with 2023 Super2 Series champion Kai Allen signed as his replacement for 2025.

The 2025 season marked Grove Racing’s most successful Supercars campaign to date. Payne and Allen achieved multiple podium finishes and delivered the team its first Bathurst 1000 victory, with Payne becoming one of the youngest winners in the event’s history. The win represented Grove Racing’s maiden triumph in the Bathurst classic.

In 2025, the team announced a major technical restructure for the 2026 season, including the recruitment of former Ferrari Formula One engineer Riccardo Corte as Technical Director and the promotion of Alistair McVean to Head of Performance. The team also confirmed that 2025 would be the final full-time season for Team Principal David Cauchi, who had overseen the squad’s transition from Kelly Grove Racing and played a central role in its first race win and Bathurst 1000 victory.

^ van Leeuwen, Andrew (14 January 2021). "New ownership structure for Kelly Racing". Motorsport.com. Retrieved 27 July 2021.

^ Chapman, Simon (26 July 2021). "Grove takes full ownership of KGR, Kelly to depart". Speedcafe. Retrieved 27 July 2021.