The energetic executive last week emerged as the front-runner to take over the position being vacated by Shane Howard, with a deal believed to have been awaiting an equity agreement.
The wheels turned quickly over the weekend with a contract signed on Friday night and the news communicated to Supercars stakeholders on Sunday before a Monday announcement.
Although not slated to take up the role until July 23 due to existing personnel commitments, Warburton visited Supercars’ Sydney and Gold Coast offices across Monday and Tuesday.
Monday’s activities included an all-staff teleconference in which Warburton declared a fresh start upon his return, which will come almost eight years after his previous CEO stint ended.
Outlining an ambition to return Supercars to the number three sport in the country behind only the AFL and NRL football juggernauts, Warburton enthused about growth opportunities.
It’s understood he remains a believer in international expansion, having worked hard to crack the broader Asian market last time around.
Warburton outlined his expectations for staff what they can expect from him, pledging to remove any silos and roadblocks within the organisation that hinder progress.
The two-day reintroduction also included meeting with individual departments within the two offices to understand the current state of play.
His return has been heavily supported by team owners, believing the renowned deal maker can reinvigorate the sport in the same way he did during his first stint from 2013-17.
The structure of Supercars is significantly different to what it was when Warburton left due to a 2021 sale to investor group RACE that divested the teams of their remaining interest.
Monday’s address to staff was co-presented by RACE chairman Barclay Nettlefold, who is among several heavy-hitter investors within the ownership structure.
It’s understood Warburton will attend the next round of the championship, the Perth Super440 on June 6-8, as part of the build-up to his official start date.
Warburton has not had a full-time role since a five-year stint as boss of Seven West Media came to an early end in mid-2024.
Supercars is already understood to be on the brink of securing its next media rights deal, with a continuation of its current partnerships with Fox Sports and Seven expected.
Warburton was at Seven when the current five-year agreement was struck and took part in early discussions surrounding a renewal while with the network.
Supercars remains on the hunt for a new Chief Operating Officer and Chief Finance Officer, while Howard is preparing to move into a motorsport role within RACE.
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