BARGWANNA SHOWS SPEED FOR SEVENTH
5/3/2004 20:46 (Press Release) -
Orrcon Racing?s Jason Bargwanna showed signs of a promising season ahead finishing seventh in the opening race of the Netscape V8 Supercar support event at the Foster?s Australian Grand Prix at Albert Park in Melbourne today.
Bargwanna started the race in 11th position and quickly elevated himself up the order to be inside the top 10 after only a handful of laps. When race leader Mark Skaife spun he moved up another position.
On the next lap Russell Ingall and Todd Kelly made contact coming onto the main straight. Bargwanna used his experience to steer clear of being involved in the incident and pick up two spots in the process.
?For some reason this race is always full of incidents and as a team we don?t need to be involved in any of them, we simply need to get laps under our belt and gain some valuable data before the Championship starts,? said Bargwanna.
?My race plan was to simply drive my own race, sit back get some laps under my belt and pick up positions one by one.
?We are continually making changes to improve the car and move towards the front of the field.?
After moving into seventh on lap three, Bargwanna closed in on Paul Radisich appearing to be able to match the pace shown by the sixth placed runner.
In the closing laps Bargwanna was pressured by Simon Wills but the Orrcon Racing driver held on to finish seventh.
?The car showed good top end speed and if we can continue to have races like that all year I think we are in for a good season,? said Bargwanna.
Bargwanna?s Orrcon Racing team mate Mark Winterbottom recovered from a spin on lap two of the event that dropped him to the back of the 31-car field and eventually finished 24th.
Over the later half of the race Winterbottom was forced to battle with a brake problem hampering his charge up the order.
?The car was very loose under brakes I simply couldn?t go deep and attempt to make a pass as it felt like I was going to spin out,? said Winterbottom.
?After I got spun on the second lap I closed in on the group ahead of me but simply couldn?t match them under brakes.?
The 10-lap race was won by Greg Murphy ahead of Jason Bright and Garth Tander.
Tomorrow the V8 Supercars will compete in a 19-lap race around the 5.303km circuit at 4:00 pm followed by the final race on Sunday morning over 10 laps.
Netscape V8 Supercars ? Race One
1. Greg Murphy
2. Jason Bright
3. Garth Tander
4. Steven Richards
5. Marcos Ambrose
6. Paul Radisich
7. Jason Bargwanna
8. Simon Wills
9. Todd Kelly
10. John Bowe
24. Mark Winterbottom
WEEKEND SCHEDULE - AGP
V8 SUPERCARS
Saturday, March 6, 2004
12.05pm-12.20pm - Driver Parade lap
4pm-5pm - Race 2 (19 Laps)
Sunday, March 7, 2004
10.35am-11.10am ? Race 3 (10 Laps)
TV TELECAST - NETWORK TEN
Saturday - March 6, 2004
10am-5pm (EDST) - 9am-4pm (Queensland)
Sunday - March 7, 2004
10am-5pm (EDST) - 9am-4pm (Queensland)
Release Date: 5/03/2004
Orrcon Racing
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