ORRCON RACING HIGH AND LOOKING FOR MORE
28/4/2004 0:05 (Press Release) -
A consistent start to the year has Orrcon Racing driver Jason Bargwanna fifth in the V8 Supercar Championship as he heads across the Tasman to New Zealand for the PlaceMakers NZ V8 International this weekend at Pukekohe Raceway.
Bargwanna’s fifth position in the Championship standings is the highest in the 10-year history of Larkham Motor Sport. He is the second placed Ford driver in the Championship courtesy of a top five and top 10 finish in each of the past two races.
Today the former Bathurst Champion celebrates his 32nd birthday and is looking for a belated birthday present this weekend across the Tasman in the way of another good result.
At the corresponding event last year Bargwanna finished a season high fifth position and after a strong start to this years Championship is confident of a good result.
“The Pukekohe layout is certainly one that I enjoy as it has a lot of character with some high speed and low speed corners, a real drivers track,” said Bargwanna.
“You need to be aggressive but also need to look after your tyres which is something we have done well in the longer races already this year.
“In last year’s race we really started to get a grip on the new BA and now with some more races under out belt with the car I am confident that we can once again figure prominently at the front of the field.”
Bargwanna’s Orrcon Racing teammate Mark Winterbottom, who joined Larkham Motor Sport at the start of the year following victory in the Konica V8 Championship, has held his own in the pinnacle of Australian motorsport in the opening two rounds of the 2004 Championship.
At the most recent round he was knocking on the door of a top ten finish, just as he was in the Championship opener in Adelaide before he was an innocent victim of an accident.
The 22-year-old has previously competed in overseas competition competing at the World Cup during his years in the upper echelon of Australian karting and is excited about heading to New Zealand this weekend.
“I’ve never been to New Zealand, my sister lived over there for a couple of years but as I was so busy racing I never got over there to visit,” said Winterbottom.
“This weekend is not about being a tourist in New Zealand though, it’s about getting a good result on the track.
“I have watched the past couple of races on TV and I really like the track, the guys tell me it is different to what it looks like on TV once you get behind the wheel and I am really looking forward to learning a new track.”
This weekend’s this round of the V8 Supercar Championship will begin on Friday with two 35 minute practice sessions followed by a 20 minute qualifying session. The Top 10 shootout will be held on Saturday morning followed by the first 100km race. Sunday there will be dual 150km races with all three races including a compulsory tyre change pit stop.
Prior to this weekend’s V8 action Orrcon, the tube, pipe and steel manufacturer will be launching into their first overseas venture when they unveil their first overseas warehouse in Auckland, New Zealand later this week.
With a warehouse in each state of Australia the Auckland warehouse makes number eight for Orrcon that also incorporates three manufacturing plants in Brisbane, New South Wales and South Australia.
TRACK FACTS
Track Length: 2.82km
Avg Speed: 152 kph
Max Speed: 266 kph
Round Format:: 1 X 100km and 2 X 150km races
2003 result – 1st Marcos Ambrose, 2nd Craig Lowndes, 3rd Russell Ingall
The Pukekohe circuit is located 40km south of Auckland on Manukau Road, Pukekohe, New Zealand
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday
09:55 - 10:30 Practice 1
12:15 - 12:50 Practice 2
14:25 - 15:10 Qualifying
Saturday
11:45 - 12:15 Top 10 Shootout
14:35 - 15:25 Race 1 - 100 Klms
Sunday
12:10 - 13:20 Race 2 - 150 Klms
15:40 - 16:50 Race 3 - 150 Klms
TV TELECAST - Network Ten
Sunday
12:00 - 17:00
Release Date: 26/04/2004
Larkham Orrcon Racing
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