Jason Bargwanna has confirmed he will return to the drivers’ seat in 2020, racing a Peugeot 308 in the TCR Australia series, with the car to be prepared by Garry Rogers Motorsport.
Bargwanna was a regular in the top tier of Australian touring car racing between 1998 and 2011, with one of his most memorable moments being clinching the 2000 Bathurst 1000.
The 47-year-old will return to GRM for the first time since the 2002 season when he returns to Australian touring car racing next year in a two-year deal.
In addition, Bargwanna will team up with his 18-year-old son Ben at the 500 km endurance race at the Bathurst International event in late 2020.
Ben Bargwanna will also take part in his second season racing in Australian Formula Ford racing in 2020. The youngster already has experience of the infamous Mount Panorama circuit, however, as he raced in the Hyundai Excel Challenge and the Victorian State Championship in 2018.
“It is really exciting to confirm that I’m making a return to the driver’s seat, and even more exciting that it is going to happen in an emerging class like TCR,” said Jason Bargwanna.
“I’ve been involved in motor racing for a long time, and TCR has lit a fire inside me. There is so much energy and hype and genuine excitement around the category. It’s a category that makes sense and I can’t wait to get back into race mode.
“One of my motivations is to team-up with my son Ben for the new endurance race at Bathurst. Having the chance to race alongside your own son in the same car is rare.
“We’ve seen the likes of the Setons, Johnsons and the Richards families do it at Bathurst, and I feel privileged to be able to share a car at such a special track.
“This TCR program is a two-year commitment for us. I have no doubt that Ben will be out buying me fishing gear for Christmas next year, and won’t be afraid to try and pry me out of the seat after he finishes his Formula Ford campaign.
“The commercial relevance for TCR in the market place has been outstanding. Since the announcement of the Channel 7 deal, the commercial market has lit up, and I’m looking forward to announcing our quality, blue chip corporate partner for the season.”
Ben Bargwanna admits that racing alongside his father at Bathurst will be hard to get to grips with.
“To race in a TCR endurance race alongside my dad at Mount Panorama is unthinkable. It’s a dream come true,” said Ben Bargwanna.
“He has been to all of my karting, Hyundai Excel and Formula Ford races, and we have a lot of fun and success together, so its very exciting that we’ll be able to share the same car.
“Garry and Barry have given me the opportunity to work with on the TCR program this year, and it has been unbelievable to work in a professional team environment.
“A full time seat in the series would be amazing, but my focus is on Formula Ford at the moment. I’m a strong believer that you need to do your apprenticeship right, and I still have some things to work on.
“My goal for 2020 is to win the national Formula Ford championship next year, then take on the world’s best at Bathurst.”