Dean Canto
A master of the support role, he became the most successful co-driver in the history of Australian Supercars.
Born 1980 (age 46)·Australian motor racing driver·Birthday: September 24·Generation X
Biography
Dean Canto's career in Australian motorsport is a masterclass in specialization and success in a specific niche. While he made starts as a full-time driver in the top-tier Supercars Championship, his true legacy was forged in the endurance races, particularly the famed Bathurst 1000. Canto possessed a rare blend of blistering speed and impeccable reliability, making him the most sought-after co-driver in the paddock. His record speaks for itself: he stood on the Bathurst podium multiple times, including a thrilling victory in 2014 with Chaz Mostert. This success was built on a foundation of dominance in the developmental series, where he was a pioneering champion. Canto redefined the value of a co-driver, proving they could be the difference between a good result and a legendary one, and his name became synonymous with trusted, championship-caliber performance in the passenger seat.
Generation X
1965–1980
The latchkey kids. Raised during divorce, recession, and the end of the Cold War. Skeptical, self-reliant, media-literate. They invented indie culture, grunge, and the early internet — then watched the Boomers take credit.
Dean was born in 1980, placing them squarely in the Generation X. The events that shaped this generation — economic uncertainty, the end of the Cold War, and the rise of personal computing — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Dean Was Born
The biggest hits of 1980
#1 Movie
The Empire Strikes Back
Best Picture
Ordinary People
#1 TV Show
Dallas
Dean's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1980Born
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1985Started school
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1993Became a teenager
European Union officially established
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $86,600Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"I Will Always Love You" — Whitney HoustonBest Picture: Schindler's List
1996Could drive
Dolly the sheep cloned
Gas: $1.23/galHome: $99,700Min wage: $4.75/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Macarena" — Los del RioBest Picture: The English Patient
1998Could vote
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2001Turned 21
September 11 attacks transform the world
Gas: $1.46/galHome: $126,400Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Hanging by a Moment" — LifehouseBest Picture: A Beautiful Mind
2010Turned 30
Deepwater Horizon oil spill; iPad launched
Gas: $2.79/galHome: $147,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Tik Tok" — KeshaBest Picture: The King's Speech
2020Turned 40
COVID-19 pandemic shuts down the world
Gas: $2.17/galHome: $248,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"Blinding Lights" — The WeekndBest Picture: Nomadland
2026Age 46 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Won the Bathurst 1000 in 2014 co-driving with Chaz Mostert for Ford Performance Racing.
- Became the inaugural champion of the V8 Supercar Development Series (now Super2) in 2000.
- Won the Development Series championship a second time in 2005, becoming its first multiple title winner.
Did You Know?
He holds the record for the most starts in the Supercars Championship as a co-driver.
Canto's 2014 Bathurst win was a dramatic comeback from last place on the grid.
Before his full-time racing career, he was an apprentice plumber.
“Bathurst is won in the garage long before the green flag flies.”
