As expected, the veteran callers have been moved aside by Supercars as it undergoes a significant freshen up of the in-house produced TV coverage that is shared across Fox Sports/Kayo and the Seven Network.
Replacing Crompton and Skaife in the commentary box will be Garth Tander joined by a rotating cast of dedicated callers and, at times, additional expert insights from a third commentator.
The dedicated, play-by-play caller role will be shared by Chad Neylon, Richard Craill and Matt Naulty who are well known for their work covering support categories on the Supercars broadcast.
Those three will be rotated as the lead caller for sprint events, one of them occupying the box for all Supercars sessions on their nominated weekends.
They will then join forces for the endurance races with a cricket-style rotation through the box.
For longer races – but not limited to the enduros – Tander and the dedicated caller will be joined by either James Courtney or Mark Winterbottom, who will share the additional expert role.
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Outside of the commentary box, Molly Taylor is a new full-time addition to the line-up, joining Riana Crehan and Mark Larkham on pit lane duties.
Taylor is no stranger to the Supercars broadcast, having stepped into pit lane duties during the free-to-air rounds in recent seasons thanks to an association with Seven.
Craig Lowndes will continue as part of the broadcast, focussed on colour and support category commentary, while Jess Yates will anchor the coverage for Fox Sports/Kayo.
According to Supercars CEO James Warburton, the move to a dedicated caller format in the commentary box is a reflection of a wider evolution for Supercars.
“Our play-by-play callers know the talent and personalities of our emerging stars more than anyone, on and off track,” said Warburton.
“They’ve also spent many years proving they’re ready for the step up, earning the respect of our fans. Chad, Matt and Richard bring passion, energy and proven craft to let the racing and our drivers tell their stories.
“With so much energy and excitement, our sport is evolving. We had so much support and interest through our new Finals format, the arrival of the Supra to take on the Mustangs and Camaros and so many hungry new stars behind the wheel.
“This all helps make us the closest, most exciting racing category on the planet.
“That’s all backed up by record growth in attendance, viewership and engagement. These changes will take our great sport even further.”
These commentary changes will be paired with some significant technical updates to the broadcast, including a new graphics package and F1-spec use of in-car radio.
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