Tag: Jason Bargwanna

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MINI MINI Challenge

Classic training debut for Trivett apprentices

MINI CHALLENGE - Bargwanna Motorsport

Motorsport categories are a great way to sharpen the skills of all who take part. Drivers, team management and mechanics are all put under the microscope during the intense competition of door-to-door racing. A relatively new racing category such as the MINI CHALLENGE is always going to provide new opportunities to those eager to learn. Two apprentices from Trivett Classic MINI Garage in Sydney were recently granted a chance to join the Bargwanna Motorsport pit for last weekend’s final round, held at Oran Park.

According to Jason Bargwanna his team’s two new charges Russell Hueffel and Anthony Wilcockson took to being a part of a professional race team like ducks to water, “We set them a few interesting tasks throughout the weekend and they handled them well,” he said.

“Nothing was too much trouble and they fitted in seamlessly with our team. It was a great weekend for them to experience motorsport for the first time. It’s not normal that someone is on a winning team in their first experience! This is something that we’re keen to continue next year with Trivett Classic MINI Garage and expand upon throughout the entire MINI Challenge season.”

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2008 MINI CHALLENGE – Round 8 wrap up

Neil McFadyen - 2008 MINI CHALLENGE champion

As reported earlier this morning, Neil McFadyen has been crowned the first Australian MINI CHALLENGE winner, seeing off a late season charge from DecoRug racer Paul Stokell. The Round 8 winner, Jason Bargwanna, showed magnificent pace after joining the series mid-season claiming a series high ten race wins. Oran Park was no different for the former Bathurst champ as he strolled home in the last race this morning by a lazy 11 seconds.

McFadyen ended up winning the Series over Stokell by just 24 points after a tense final race. Although the Sydney-sider in the Industrie Clothing MINI was playing the conservation game, he survived a scare on the final lap when the close following Gary Young received contact from Barry Sternbeck—almost taking out McFadyen in the process. However, he completed his lap and took the series win.

On claiming his title McFadyen paid tribute to his team, “I really have to give this up to the M3 Motorsport team. They have lived and breathed MINI Challenge since the Series was first announced and for some of them even to the detriment of their own businesses. It’s been a tough year for us and I’m really happy to be crowned a national champion once again. MINI CHALLENGE has been a fantastic series to be a part of and I’m sure it will only grow from here.”

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MINI Challenge

2008 MINI CHALLENGE – Round 6 wrap up

MINI CHALLENGE crash at Bathurst

Hard to go past the most spectacular imagery from this round, Ryan McLeod and Darren Berry’s accident. The incident has been covered here (including a MINI CHALLENGE press statement on Darren’s condition). The good news is, despite the horrific looking wreckage above, Darren Berry’s injuries will not be long term.

Back to the racing and it was the familiar story of Jason Bargwanna at the head of the field. His domination since joining the field full time seems to know no boundaries, even dual British Touring Car champion Matt Neal couldn’t match Bargs—who started from pole, scorching around the Mount Panorama circuit in 2:31.1762, some 1.25 seconds faster than Neal. The Brit grabbed his second place in the dying seconds of qualifying snatching a front row position from the other Team Bargwanna entry of Scott Bargwanna.

Jason Bargwanna felt his V8 Supercar experience at the track gave him an edge, “I came down the mountain at the end of the session and saw the 97 and 79 one and two on the scoring board, which was a very exciting thing to see! Although Matt pipped Scotty, it’s still a great result for us. Personally, the extra 50kg (success ballast) that I’m carrying definitely makes a difference under acceleration. I think the miles I’ve done around this place may have contributed to the result!”

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MINI Challenge

MINI CHALLENGE race cut short at Bathurst

The Australian MINI CHALLENGE had a great position in the television broadcast today. Race 3, the final race for Round 6, was to be beamed live into Australia’s lounge rooms as the last event before the Top 10 Shootout for the V8 Supercars. The first two races, both won by Jason Bargwanna, were tight and exciting, and after a few ups and downs for the series management this year the MINI CHALLENGE would really benefit from a full grid and a national live telecast.

All was going well until a brutal accident on the first lap involving Darren Berry and Ryan McLeod. The crash happened towards the back of the field, on the downhill run, between the Dipper and Forest Elbow. McLeod’s MINI tagged the back of Berry’s Clipper Motor Yachts MINI and forced him head on into the wall. McLeod also slammed into the concrete, before parking on the in field just after Forest Elbow. The Safety Car was sent out, but race organisers stopped the race and declared it a no result. No points will be awarded.

The impact of Berry’s MINI into the wall was shocking. A statement from MINI CHALLENGE (shown below) reveals that Berry suffered a broken ankle and was complaining of back pain. He has been transferred to Orange Hospital where we hope he makes a quick start to a full recovery.

Berry’s accident comes on the back of Grant Denyer’s absence from the series after his incident at the NSW Monster Truck Championships last month.

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MINI Challenge

2008 MINI Challenge – Round 5 wrap up

2008 MINI Challenge - Round 5

Jason Bargwanna’s recent dominance of the 2008 MINI CHALLENGE continued in Round 5 with the former Bathurst champion taking a clean sweep of all three races. Bargwanna started Race 1 on pole and never looked back. Nathan Geier was equally as consistent starting the first race from P2 on the grid and finishing all three races in second place. Geier was desperately close to ending Jason Bargwanna’s dream run, finishing the last race less than two tenths of a second behind, in the closest finish of the series to date.

That left third place the only position changing hands throughout the meet. Todd Fiore was third in Race 1, ahead of brother Paul and Jason Bargwanna’s cousin Scott. Neil McFadyen crossed the line in position three for the second race, with the Fiore brothers close behind. The final podium place for Race 3 was claimed by Paul Fiore, with McFadyen and Paul Stokell finishing fourth and fifth respectively.

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MINI Challenge

2008 MINI Challenge – Round 4 TV highlights

Here is the TV highlights package from Round 4 of Australia’s 2008 MINI CHALLENGE. This round was all about the new entry to the series, Team Bargwanna, headed by former Bathurst winner Jason Bargwanna. His cousin Scott drives the team’s second car and their respective fathers help out in the pits. A real family affair. Jason won all three races this weekend and leading into the winter break it will be interesting to see if the other teams can catch the new kids on the block when they return to racing at Phillip Island in September (all dates and TV schedule below).

A full wrap up of Round 4 can be found HERE.

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MINI Challenge

2008 MINI Challenge – Round 4 Wrap up

Jason Bargwanna, MINI CHALLENGE

Jason Bargwanna has made a dominant return to the MINI CHALLENGE taking a clean sweep of all three races in the Round 4 meeting at Sandown raceway. Starting on pole for the first race the former Bathurst winner established an early lead and never looked like being headed. Denyer closed slightly, but was never seriously able to challenge. Third placing in the opening race was Nathan Geier, with Stokell bringing the DecoRug machine home in fourth.

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MINI Challenge

2008 MINI Challenge – Round 4 Preview

Paul Mercurio drives in the Australian MINI Challenge

Round 4 of the 2008 MINI CHALLENGE takes place at Melbourne’s Sandown raceway. Pictured above is Paul Mercurio who will be tapping his toes behind the wheel of the UBER-STAR CAR this weekend. Mercurio won the hearts of cinema goers in the lead role of the Australian classic Strictly Ballroom, and now finds a place in our homes as a judge on Channel 7’s Dancing with the Stars. He is no stranger to race track action, Paul took victory in the Australian Grand Prix Celebrity Challenge in 2000 and in his second appearance in 2005, finished third after starting on the front row. He has also appeared in a PRO-AM at the Race of 1000 Years ALMS race on the Adelaide Grand Prix circuit and driven a MINI in the Classic Adelaide tarmac rally, where he finished second.

“It is every boy’s dream to be a sponsored racing car driver and I’m getting to live the dream—fantastic!” Mercurio enthused. “It’s a fantasy to be a sponsored driver.”

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MINI Challenge

Bargwanna double act take up the MINI CHALLENGE

MINI Challenge - Jason BargwannaAfter becoming the first ever MINI CHALLENGE UBER-STAR at Eastern Creek, Jason Bargwanna will complete the remainder of 2008 in the Series, this time with cousin, Scott in a two car super-team, starting this weekend at Sandown.

The arrangement has come together with major support from Trivett Classic MINI Garage in Parramatta (Sydney) and Matchmaster TV Reception Systems. It will be a family affair, the cars being run under the Bargwanna Motorsport banner out of Sydney.

Racing together isn’t new for the cousins – the Bargwanna/Bargwanna combination first teamed up at the 1992 Bathurst 1000 in a Corolla, taking a class win. The boys will continue the family connection by using the racing numbers of their fathers – twins, Alf (Scott) and Harry (Jason) Bargwanna – #79 and #97 respectively.

“Bargwannas have come out of the woodwork to get this deal pulled together for Sandown,” the former Bathurst 1000 winner said. “We’re looking good and cannot wait for the challenge. We want to be competitive in this deal, but we really want to have some fun as well.

“It’s a good opportunity for us to involve our families in our racing. Scott and I grew up at race tracks watching our fathers and this gives us the opportunity to do the same with our sons and also involve our fathers closely. MINI CHALLENGE is a great environment to go racing in and do this sort of thing.”

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