Too tall for Formula One 

At 193cm, Garth Tander should have taken up a career in basketball instead of motorsport, where most drivers are lucky to be any taller than 175cm because of the confines of a race cabin.

After bringing back the Peter Brock trophy to Holden with a heart-stopping Bathurst 1000 win, Tander told The Daily Telegraph about his against-the-odds tale to become a tall race car driver.

"There is no way I could ever drive an open wheeler," he said."I just wouldn't fit in to anything like a Formula One car. "I am about 6'4" and I weigh 78kg. Mark Webber would be the tallest by far in Formula One and he is only 5'11". Even Webber at that height struggles to get into a Formula One car so I would be no chance at all."

Tander, a Holden god after breaking Craig Lowndes and Jamie Whincup's three-year domination of Mount Panorama for Ford, revealed he has never been comfortable in a race car. Not a good confession from a bloke who spent the best part of 1000km in one on Sunday as he drove to Bathurst glory.

"Being tall, I have been used to being squashed into anything I drive," he said. "In Formula Ford it was pretty uncomfortable and even in the couple of tests I did for Formula Holden I was squashed in. But that is just something I have learned to deal with. "But I can get in and out of a V8 Supercar so I don't think it is a big problem. I have had to put up with that from go-karts on and to be honest I don't think it is much of a hindrance."

Despite his talent, Tander could never dream of becoming a Formula One star.. When just a teenager, Tander was told he would be too tall to race in the world's No. 1 motorsport category. Aside from not being able to fit in a Formula One seat, Tander's height would create drag and his weight would affect the car's power-to-weight ratio.

"I learnt very early in my career that I could never driver a Formula Car or an open wheeler," Tander said.

So Tander set his heart on becoming a touring car superstar.

"That is when I decided I would concentrate on the touring cars," Tander said.

"That was just when V8 Supercar was starting to get big and I was lucky enough to get a paid gig coming straight out of Formula Ford.

"In 1998 I got an offer from Gary Rogers after winning the Formula Ford championship. It was just a dream to make it and I think I was only 21."

Tander was yesterday still coming to terms with his spectacular win at the Mountain.

"I think it is starting to sink in," Tander said. "I am still very excited about it all and it was just a great race. It was one of those days where everything just felt comfortable."

But Tander won't have much time to bask in the glow of his historic win. The Holden Racing Team will repair the all conquering Commodore and shift it straight to the Gold Coast for next week's round at the Super GP.

Tander has put himself back in the championship.

"I haven't done all the sums yet but I will," Tander said. "But that's not really important. I just have to go out and win some races."