Bargwanna wants to taste further Bathurst success
8/10/2004 22:11 (Press Release) -
Orrcon Racing driver Jason Bargwanna has previously tasted the sweet smell of success in the Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 at Bathurst. And he wants to taste it again.
“I want to win Bathurst,” was Bargwanna’s comment on the team radio after the Betta Electrical Sandown 500 where the team overcame a fuel pump failure to record a sixth placed finish.
“There is no doubt about it, Bathurst is the crème de la crème, there is nothing in that matches this race the experience and emotions at the Mountain,” said Bargwanna.
“Bathurst is a culmination of the year’s hard work, while the Championship is what all the teams chase year after year in my opinion Bathurst is as tough and prestigious to win as the Championship itself, maybe even tougher.
“Over the past two years our team has been the big improvers and we are now consistently qualifying inside the top ten and there is a really good feeling amongst the team as we head to Bathurst.”
In addition to his victory in the 1000 kilometre race Bargwanna has previously won at Mount Panorama aboard a Toyota Corolla in 1992 along with victory aboard a Formula Ford and competed in the Bathurst 12 hour event.
Bargwanna, who is currently tenth in the V8 Supercar Championship, rates his victory at Mount Panorama in 2000 as the highlight of his career so far and enters this weekend’s event the most confident of victory in any of his seven previous attempts.
“The speed we have shown this year, especially over in the longer races, has given me confidence that we will be able to achieve a good result and be on the podium. If things are on our side it could be the top step of the podium that we will be standing on,” said Bargwanna.
“The team has shown that the cars have the speed. I’m paired with Frosty (Mark Winterbottom) which gives us very strong driver line up and the guys have been training hard on their pit stops as well. It all it adds up to a very attractive and competitive package come race time on Sunday.
The Larkham Motor Sport team has previously been at the front of the pack on several occasions with the most memorable being in 1998 where Mark Larkham finished fourth. Equaling the successful race in 1998 was the team’s performance in 1999 where Larkham claimed pole position, lowering the outright lap record in the process.
This year Larkham Motor Sport is armed with a pair extremely competitive Orrcon Racing BA Falcon’s for their assault on the Mountain with regular drivers Bargwanna and Winterbottom teaming up in the Number 10 car while Larkham and New Zealander Matt Halliday will steer the Number 20 car around the 6.213 kilometre circuit.
If Bargwanna has his way his team will be celebrating on Sunday night and he will have etched his name in the record books to become the ninth driver to have won two Bathurst crowns.
V8 SUPERCAR CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS
After 9 of 13 rounds
1: Marcos Ambrose 148
2: Jason Bright 1464
3: Steven Richards 1397
4: Rick Kelly 1373
5: Russell Ingall 1347
6: Greg Murphy 1284
7: Todd Kelly 1163
8: Garth Tander 1155
9: John Bowe 1004
10: Jason Bargwanna 962
11: Paul Weel 881
12: Mark Skaife 863
13: Paul Morris 861
14: Cameron McConville 860
15: Paul Dumbrell 844
16: Steven Johnson 832
17: Tony Longhurst 826
18: Craig Baird 814
19: Brad Jones 789
20: Jason Richards 788
21: Glenn Seton 783
22: Mark Winterbottom 764
23: Paul Radisich 763
24: Warren Luff 736
25: Anthony Tratt 720
26: Craig Lowndes 637
27: Steve Ellery 590
28: David Besnard 560
29: Max Wilson 504
31: Mark Noske 304
32: Dale Brede 292
33: Fabian Coulthard 214
34: Mark Porter 202
35: Greg Ritter 192
36: Cameron McLean 188
37: Garth Walden 181
38: Marcus Marshall 152
39: Matthew White 152
40: Thomas Mezera 148
41: Peter Brock 140
42: Jason Plato 140
43: Jim Richards 136
44: Charlie O'Brien 132
45: Allan Gurr 128
46: Adam Macrow 120
47: Alain Menu 120
48: Christian D'Agostin 116
49: Kurt Wimmer 116
50: John McIntyre 112
51: Alex Yoong 112
52: Luke Youlden 108
53: Grant Elliott 100
54: Neil McFadyen 90
ORRCON RACING DRIVER HISTORY AT THE BOB JANE T-MARTS 1000
Jason Bargwanna
Best Finish – 1st (2000)
Best qualifying position – 7th (1998)
Debut - 1997
2003 results – Qualifying 21st, Race DNF
Drivers previousl y paired with – Mark Noske (1997), Jim Richards (1998), Garth Tander (1999, 2000, 01, 02)
Mark Winterbottom
Best Finish – DNF (2003)
Best qualifying position – (2003)
Debut - 2003
2003 results – Qualifying 18th, Race DNF
Drivers previously paired with – Mark Noske (2003)
Mark Larkham
Best Finish – 4th (1998)
Best qualifying position – 1st (1999)
Debut - 1996
2003 results – Qualifying 21st, Race DNF
Drivers previously paired with – Cameron McConville (1996), Andrew Miedecke (97), Brad Jones (98, 99), Alain Menu (2000), Wayne Gardner (01), Will Power (02), Jason Bargwanna (03)
Matt Halliday
Best Finish – N/A debut 2004
Best qualifying position – N/A debut 2004
Debut - N/A debut 2004
2003 results – N/A debut 2004
Bob Jane T-Marts 1000
Mount Panorama, Bathurst NSW
Thursday October 7
11:00 - 12:00 – Practice One
2:20 – 2:50 – Practice Two
3:00 – 3:30 – Practice Three (Co-drivers)
Friday October 8
9:25 – 10:25 – Practice Four
2:00 – 2:45 – Qualifying (Lower 50%)
2:55 – 3:40 – Qualifying (Upper 50%)
Saturday October 9
10:00 – 11:00 – Practice Five
3:40 – 4:25 – Top Ten Shootout
Sunday October 10
7:15 – 7:45 – Warm Up
10:00 – Bob Jane T-Marts 1000 (161 Laps)
TRACK FACTS
Round Ten
Bob Jane T-m arts 1000, Mount Panorama
Bathurst, NSW
October 7-10, 2004
Track Length: 6.21 km
Avg Speed: 146 kph
Max Speed: 290 kph
Round Format: 1 X 1000km race
2003 result – 1st Greg Murphy/Rick Kelly, 2nd Craig Lowndes/Glenn Seton, 3rd Steven Ellery/Luke Youlden
TV TELECAST – NETWORK TEN
Friday – 1pm-4pm (EST)
Saturday – Noon-5pm (EST)
Sunday – 7am-5pm (EST)
* Please note that Network Ten will show a round of the Formula One World Championship from Suzuka Japan on Sunday from 5.30pm to 7pm.
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