BARCLAY Nettlefold is known as the centrepiece of Supercars ownership consortium RACE, and as a powerful businessman in the advertising/media sector.
But little more about the man has been made public since orchestrating the buyout of Archer Capital and Supercars teams’ stakes in late 2021.
That is, until completing a half-hour feature interview with The Rock’s Not For Radio podcast in the lead-up to this weekend’s ITM Taupō Super400.
Suddenly, there is a slightly clearer picture of who exactly Nettlefold is.
“Sport is in my blood,” he said.
“My father was three-times Australian high diving champion, my mother was vice-captain of the Australian hockey team, my brother played footy – AFL – for St Kilda and Fitzroy, and I was a yachtsman.
“That was my main sport. I won a few Australian titles when I was young. I then was reserve for the Olympics in ’87 into ’88 into Korea, I went to pre-Olympic Games, and I represented my country about 11 times in world titles.”
In addition to playing top-level Aussie rules, Nettlefold’s older brother Michael was for a time CEO of the St Kilda Football Club. Barclay meanwhile had a short tenure as Swimming Australia president.
It was through his TGI Sport – the banner which leading Australian agency TLA has slotted in under as of this month – business that Supercars eventually became on his radar.
“I was never into car racing at all,” the younger Nettlefold brother confessed.
“But being into sport, I could see where the values are strategically.”
Nettlefold revealed his personal car collection includes a Maserati, Corvette and his favourite: a Ferrari 458.
He’s declared a wish to see a New Zealand Supercars double-header become a reality in future.
Supercars’ Taupō debut takes place this Friday to Sunday.
