Greg Ritter

Gregory James Ritter (born 20 February 1973, in Victoria) is an Australian former racing driver. He was the winner of the 1999 Australian Formula Ford Championship and shared the winning drive at the 2004 Sandown 500 with Marcos Ambrose.

Ritter begun his motor racing career in Formula Ford in 1997. After three seasons, he had become the national champion and thereafter established a partnership with Garry Rogers Motorsport to race in the V8 Supercar category. He would compete in the championship from the end of the 1990s through to the mid-2010s, establishing himself as a solid, dependable co-driver for the marquee endurance events. His final professional racing appearance came in the 2016 Touring Car Masters.

Career summary Junior formula Ritter made his car racing debut in the Australian Formula Ford Championship in 1997. A strong campaign allowed him to finish fifth in the driver standings with two overall round podium positions at Phillip Island and Mallala. The following year, he returned to the series under the Garry Rogers Motorsport outfit. Ritter struggled for consistency this season and ultimately finished the year fourth overall. Finally, in 1999, Ritter returned to the championship with Inspired Racing. Despite not winning any rounds that season, his consistency enabled him to ward off Steve Owen to win the championship.

V8 Supercars Whilst testing Formula Ford at Winton, Ritter was afforded an impromptu test aboard a Garry Rogers Motorsport V8 Supercar. As a result of this, Ritter offered his debut V8 Supercar drive in the Queensland 500 driving alongside Matthew Coleman. After finishing 12th in the event, the pairing would reunite for the Bathurst 1000 where they would finish ninth overall. Ritter would be retained by Garry Rogers Motorsport for 2000 to drive alongside Tim Leahey in the endurance events.

In 2001, Ritter would take part in the first two rounds of the championship with Imrie Motor Sport. He failed to qualify for the opening round at Phillip Island however made the grid for the Clipsal 500 a couple weeks later, finishing 22nd on Sunday. Ritter's primary focus that year however was in the endurance events where he would pilot the second Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon. At Queensland, driving alongside Paul Stokell, the duo qualified well but ultimately retired due to engine failure. At the Bathurst 1000, Ritter would be joined by Cameron McLean. The pair were leading late in the race before a series of issues threw them down to fourth at the chequered flag.

Ritter's performances throughout 2001 were enough for the team to retain him for 2002. As well as the endurance events, where he would co-drive with 1980 Formula One world champion, Alan Jones, he would make select one-off appearances in a third DJR car at Phillip Island and Eastern Creek. Although he failed to qualify at Phillip Island, he performed well at Eastern Creek, even managing to finish ahead of the teams main driver, Steven Johnson, in the final race that weekend. At the Queensland 500, Ritter and Jones finished eighth overall and ahead of the teams main car. And at the Bathurst 1000, Ritter qualified the car had initially qualified seventh overall (later overturned due to a penalty) and drew praise for his performances while Johnson and Paul Radisich struggled with their performances. Ritter and Jones ran a largely clean race, but were ultimately let down by a series of mistakes by Ritter late in the race, including almost crashing into the barriers at the final corner, to finish seventh on the road. At the next round at Surfers Paradise, Ritter was afforded a one-off drive for Briggs Motor Sport.

For 2003, Ritter signed with the fledging 00 Motorsport outfit to secure his first full-time gig in the V8 Supercar series. The venture however, was shortlived, as the team struggled for funds and after a few rounds, the team disbanded and Ritter was left to accept an endurance role with Paul Weel Racing.

In 2004, Ritter signed with Stone Brothers Racing and would co-drive with defending champion Marcos Ambrose for the endurance events. Despite spinning a turn one and narrowly missed out becoming bogged in the excessively muddy outfield, the pairing drove a strong race to hand Ritter his first and only V8 Supercar race win at the Sandown 500. At the Bathurst 1000, Ritter and Ambrose were leading the race with 15 laps to go before Ambrose was forced to pit with a delaminating tyre, thus forcing them out of contention, finishing fourth overall. He also competed in the final round of the Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Development Series at Mallala with Speed FX Racing. He dominated the round, winning two out of the three races that weekend. Ritter's performances with Stone Brothers Racing led to him signing for Ford Performance Racing as a full-time driver for 2005. Immediately, issues arose regarding the car setup and completion. The car was incomplete for the first round at Adelaide and didn't have an adjustable rear sway bar. Further issues stemming around reliability inhibited Ritter's season and for the final two rounds, he would be replaced by David Brabham.

The following season, Ritter would return to Garry Rogers Motorsport, establishing an endurance-drive partnership that would last for the duration of his V8 Supercar career. He would be joined once again by Cameron McLean. Results were lukewarm but the pair would be retained for the 2007 season. At the Bathurst 1000, the pairing went a lap down early in the race. After clawing their way back onto the lead lap, the team made a gamble for wet weather tyres in the final laps of the race when rain started to descend upon the circuit. With the majority of the field remaining on slick tyres and the track becoming increasingly treacherous, Ritter began to rapidly ascend through the order. However, the track began to dry and stunted Ritter's charge. They would ultimately finish the race in ninth place.

In the years that followed, Ritter continued driving for Garry Rogers Motorsport in the V8 Supercar endurance events with varying levels of success. In the 2009 Bathurst 1000, he and teammate David Besnard led a sizeable chunk of the race and were in contention for the overall win. But they were ultimately undone by a badly-timed safety car that threw them out of circulation. His best result at The Great Race thereafter came in 2012 when he finished fifth with Michael Caruso. He would also deputise for regular driver Alexandre Prémat at the following round on the Gold Coast. He played an integral role in the development of the Volvo S60 racecar for GRM and would be retained once again for 2014. Ritter's last race in the V8 Supercar category came in the 2014 Gold Coast 600.

Touring Car Masters

After his V8 Supercar career had come to an end, Ritter returned to racing in the Touring Car Masters category in 2015 for the final round at Phillip Island. He started his debut TCM race from pole position after officials elected to void the results of a shortened qualifying session. He returned to the category for the first two rounds of the 2016 season. He won the opening two races at Adelaide and secured pole position at Sandown.

Following this round, Ritter would not return to the championship and marked his final professional motor racing appearance.

Career results Career summary Season Series Team Races Wins Poles Podiums Points Position 1997 Australian Formula Ford Championship Greg Ritter 12 0 0 0 2 97 5th 1998 Australian Formula Ford Championship Garry Rogers Motorsport 14 0 0 0 2 109 4th 1999 Australian Formula Ford Championship Inspired Racing 16 1 ? ? 12 198 1st Shell Championship Series Garry Rogers Motorsport 2 0 0 0 0 348 34th 2000 Shell Championship Series 2 0 0 0 0 88 42nd 2001 Shell Championship Series Imrie Motor SportDick Johnson Racing 4 0 0 0 0 596 34th 2002 V8 Supercar Championship Series Dick Johnson RacingBriggs Motor Sport 7 0 0 0 0 185 36th 2003 V8 Supercar Championship Series 00 MotorsportPaul Weel Racing 10 0 0 0 0 537 32nd 2004 V8 Supercar Championship Series Stone Brothers Racing 2 1 0 1 1 372 32nd Konica Minolta V8 Supercar Series Speed FX Racing 3 2 1 1 2 184 31st 2005 V8 Supercar Championship Series Ford Performance Racing 24 0 0 0 0 739 27th 2006 V8 Supercar Championship Series Garry Rogers Motorsport 2 0 0 0 0 200 49th 2007 V8 Supercar Championship Series 2 0 0 0 0 27 40th 2008 V8 Supercar Championship Series 2 0 0 0 0 245 40th 2009 V8 Supercar Championship Series 2 0 0 0 0 306 33rd 2010 V8 Supercar Championship Series 4 0 0 0 0 387 39th 2011 International V8 Supercars Championship 2 0 0 0 0 243 43rd 2012 International V8 Supercars Championship 4 0 0 0 0 371 37th 2013 International V8 Supercars Championship 4 0 0 0 0 354 45th 2014 International V8 Supercars Championship 4 0 0 0 0 234 46th 2015 Touring Car Masters Sunliner RV 3 0 1 0 0 ? 12th 2016 Touring Car Masters Sunliner RV 5 2 1 0 2 234 7th

Complete Supercars Championship results Supercars results Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 Position Points 1999 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VT) EAS R1 EAS R2 EAS R3 ADE R4 BAR R5 BAR R6 BAR R7 PHI R8 PHI R9 PHI R10 HID R11 HID R12 HID R13 SAN R14 SAN R15 SAN R16 QLD R17 QLD R18 QLD R19 CAL R20 CAL R21 CAL R22 SYM R23 SYM R24 SYM R25 WIN R26 WIN R27 WIN R28 ORA R29 ORA R30 ORA R31 QLDR32 BATR33 34th 348 2000 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VT) PHI R1 PHI R2 BAR R3 BAR R4 BAR R5 ADE R6 ADE R7 EAS R8 EAS R9 EAS R10 HID R11 HID R12 HID R13 CAN R14 CAN R15 CAN R16 QLD R17 QLD R18 QLD R19 WIN R20 WIN R21 WIN R22 ORA R23 ORA R24 ORA R25 CAL R26 CAL R27 CAL R28 QLD R29 SAN R30 SAN R31 SAN R32 BAT R33 42nd 88 2001 Imrie Motorsport Holden Commodore (VX) PHIR1 PHIR2 ADER3 ADER4 EASR5 EASR6 HDVR7 HDVR8 HDVR9 CANR10 CANR11 CANR12 BARR13 BARR14 BARR15 CALR16 CALR17 CALR18 ORAR19 ORAR20 QLDR21 WINR22 WINR23 BATR24 PUKR25 PUKR26 PUKR27 SANR28 SANR29 SANR30 34th 596 Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) PHIR1 PHIR2 ADER3 ADER4 EASR5 EASR6 HDVR7 HDVR8 HDVR9 CANR10 CANR11 CANR12 BARR13 BARR14 BARR15 CALR16 CALR17 CALR18 ORAR19 ORAR20 QLDR21 WINR22 WINR23 BATR24 PUKR25 PUKR26 PUKR27 SANR28 SANR29 SANR30 2002 Dick Johnson Racing Ford Falcon (AU) ADER1 ADER2 PHIR3 PHIR4 EASR5 EASR6 EASR7 HDVR8 HDVR9 HDVR10 CANR11 CANR12 CANR13 BARR14 BARR15 BARR16 ORAR17 ORAR18 WINR19 WINR20 QLDR21 BATR22 SURR23 SURR24 PUKR25 PUKR26 PUKR27 SANR28 SANR29 36th 185 Briggs Motor Sport Ford Falcon (AU) ADER1 ADER2 PHIR3 PHIR4 EASR5 EASR6 EASR7 HDVR8 HDVR9 HDVR10 CANR11 CANR12 CANR13 BARR14 BARR15 BARR16 ORAR17 ORAR18 WINR19 WINR20 QLDR21 BATR22 SURR23 SURR24 PUKR25 PUKR26 PUKR27 SANR28 SANR29 2003 00 Motorsport Ford Falcon (BA) ADER1 ADER1 PHIR3 EASR4 WINR5 BARR6 BARR7 BARR8 HDVR9 HDVR10 HDVR11 QLDR12 ORAR13 SANR14 BATR15 SURR16 SURR17 PUKR18 PUKR19 PUKR20 EASR21 EASR22 32nd 537 Paul Weel Racing Holden Commodore (VX) ADER1 ADER1 PHIR3 EASR4 WINR5 BARR6 BARR7 BARR8 HDVR9 HDVR10 HDVR11 QLDR12 ORAR13 SANR14 BATR15 SURR16 SURR17 PUKR18 PUKR19 PUKR20 EASR21 EASR22 2004 Stone Brothers Racing Ford Falcon (BA) ADER1 ADER2 EASR3 PUKR4 PUKR5 PUKR6 HDVR7 HDVR8 HDVR9 BARR10 BARR11 BARR12 QLDR13 WINR14 ORAR15 ORAR16 SANR17 BATR18 SURR19 SURR20 SYMR21 SYMR22 SYMR23 EASR24 EASR25 EASR26 32nd 372 2005 Ford Performance Racing Ford Falcon (BA) ADER1 ADER2 PUKR3 PUKR4 PUKR5 BARR6 BARR7 BARR8 EASR9 EASR10 SHAR11 SHAR12 SHAR13 HDVR14 HDVR15 HDVR16 QLDR17 ORAR18 ORAR19 SANR20 BATR21 SURR22 SURR23 SURR24 SYMR25 SYMR26 SYMR27 PHIR28 PHIR29 PHIR30 27th 739 2006 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VZ) ADER1 ADER2 PUKR3 PUKR4 PUKR5 BARR6 BARR7 BARR8 WINR9 WINR10 WINR11 HDVR12 HDVR13 HDVR14 QLDR15 QLDR16 QLDR17 ORAR18 ORAR19 ORAR20 SANR21 BATR22 SURR23 SURR24 SURR25 SYMR26 SYMR27 SYMR28 BHRR29 BHRR30 BHRR31 PHIR32 PHIR33 PHIR34 49th 200 2007 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VE) ADER1 ADER2 BARR3 BARR4 BARR5 PUKR6 PUKR7 PUKR8 WINR9 WINR10 WINR11 EASR12 EASR13 EASR14 HDVR15 HDVR16 HDVR17 QLDR18 QLDR19 QLDR20 ORAR21 ORAR22 ORAR23 SANR24 BATR25 SURR26 SURR27 SURR28 BHRR29 BHRR30 BHRR31 SYMR32 SYMR33 SYMR34 PHIR35 PHIR36 PHIR37 40th 27 2008 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VE) ADER1 ADER2 EASR3 EASR4 EASR5 HAMR6 HAMR7 HAMR8 BARR9 BARR10 BARR11 SANR12 SANR13 SANR14 HDVR15 HDVR16 HDVR17 QLDR18 QLDR19 QLDR20 WINR21 WINR22 WINR23 PHIR24 BATR25 SURR26 SURR27 SURR28 BHRR29 BHRR30 BHRR31 SYMR32 SYMR33 SYMR34 ORAR35 ORAR36 ORAR37 40th 245 2009 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VE) ADER1 ADER2 HAMR3 HAMR4 WINR5 WINR6 SYMR7 SYMR8 HDVR9 HDVR10 TOWR11 TOWR12 SANR13 SANR14 QLDR15 QLDR16 PHIQ PHIR17 BATR18 SURR19 SURR20 SURR21 SURR22 PHIR23 PHIR24 BARR25 BARR26 SYDR27 SYDR28 33rd 306 2010 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VE) YMCR1 YMCR2 BHRR3 BHRR4 ADER5 ADER6 HAMR7 HAMR8 QLDR9 QLDR10 WINR11 WINR12 HDVR13 HDVR14 TOWR15 TOWR16 PHIR17 BATR18 SURR19 SURR20 SYMR21 SYMR22 SANR23 SANR24 SYDR25 SYDR26 39th 387 2011 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VE) YMCR1 YMCR2 ADER3 ADER4 HAMR5 HAMR6 BARR7 BARR8 BARR9 WINR10 WINR11 HIDR12 HIDR13 TOWR14 TOWR15 QLDR16 QLDR17 QLDR18 PHIR19 BATR20 SURR21 SURR22 SYMR23 SYMR24 SANR25 SANR26 SYDR27 SYDR28 43rd 243 2012 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VE) ADER1 ADER2 SYMR3 SYMR4 HAMR5 HAMR6 BARR7 BARR8 BARR9 PHIR10 PHIR11 HIDR12 HIDR13 TOWR14 TOWR15 QLDR16 QLDR17 SMPR18 SMPR19 SANQR SANR20 BATR21 SURR22 SURR23 YMCR24 YMCR25 YMCR26 WINR27 WINR28 SYDR29 SYDR30 37th 371 2013 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden Commodore (VF) ADER1 ADER2 SYMR3 SYMR4 SYMR5 PUKR6 PUKR7 PUKR8 PUKR9 BARR10 BARR11 BARR12 COAR13 COAR14 COAR15 COAR16 HIDR17 HIDR18 HIDR19 TOWR20 TOWR21 QLDR22 QLDR23 QLDR24 WINR25 WINR26 WINR27 SANR28 BATR29 SURR30 SURR31 PHIR32 PHIR33 PHIR34 SYDR35 SYDR36 45th 354 2014 Garry Rogers Motorsport Volvo S60 ADER1 ADER2 ADER3 SYMR4 SYMR5 SYMR6 WINR7 WINR8 WINR9 PUKR10 PUKR11 PUKR12 PUKR13 BARR14 BARR15 BARR16 HIDR17 HIDR18 HIDR19 TOWR20 TOWR21 TOWR22 QLDR23 QLDR24 QLDR25 SMPR26 SMPR27 SMPR28 SANQ SANR29 BATR30 SURR31 SURR32 PHIR33 PHIR34 PHIR35 SYDR36 SYDR37 SYDR38 46th 234

Complete Bathurst 1000 results Year Team Car Co-driver Position Laps 1999 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VT Commodore Steve Owen 9th 160 2000 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VT Commodore Tim Leahey DNF 40 2001 Dick Johnson Racing Ford AU Falcon Cameron McLean 4th 161 2002 Dick Johnson Racing Ford AU Falcon Alan Jones 7th 161 2003 Paul Weel Racing Holden VX Commodore Marcus Marshall DNF 159 2004 Stone Brothers Racing Ford BA Falcon Marcos Ambrose 4th 161 2005 Ford Performance Racing Ford BA Falcon Cameron McLean 18th 138 2006 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VZ Commodore Cameron McLean 13th 160 2007 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VE Commodore Cameron McLean 9th 161 2008 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VE Commodore Steven Ellery 16th 157 2009 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VE Commodore David Besnard 9th 161 2010 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VE Commodore Michael Caruso 10th 161 2011 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VE Commodore Lee Holdsworth 17th 161 2012 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VE Commodore Michael Caruso 5th 161 2013 Garry Rogers Motorsport Holden VF Commodore Alexandre Prémat 23rd 154 2014 Garry Rogers Motorsport Volvo S60 Robert Dahlgren DNF 114