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Bargwanna confident of V8TC title hopes
Jude Bargwanna is confident he can secure a maiden Kumho V8 Touring Car Series title at the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International despite the growing pressure from rivals behind.
The New South Welshman had a commanding start to the season, establishing his series lead early on after back-to-back round wins at Phillip Island and Race Winton.
However, Pollicina and Jamie Tilley’s strong performances in the previous two rounds significantly reduced what appeared to be an insurmountable lead.
Tickets for Supercheap Auto Bathurst International are available for purchase here.
Despite the heightened competition and mounting pressure, Bargwanna remained self-assured in his ability to secure victory in November.
“I am feeling positive, let’s put it that way,” Bargwanna said.
“We’ve had a strong year in terms of pace in the Active Brand Management Supercar, but we’re still working on improving our reliability, which has hurt us in the past couple of rounds.
“Given the pace we had, we believed we could have won them, so we’re feeling confident about our prospects at Bathurst.
“There is some added pressure as the points gap has tightened, but it simply means we need to keep the car in good condition, ensure its reliability, and minimize the DNFs. The rest should take care of itself.
The FG Falcon that Bargwanna, cousin of seven-time Supercars race winner Jason Bargwanna, is campaigning in 2023 has an equally victorious history. Starting its life as a Ford Performance Racing-built car in 2009, the now-Bargwanna chassis would sensationally win the 2015 Super2 Series with Cam Waters.
“Winning a title would be significant for me. Many talented drivers have won titles over the years, so achieving it in my first season would hold immense value on my racing resume,” Bargwanna added.
Having previously competed in two Hi-Tec Oils Bathurst 6 Hour events, Bargwanna is looking forward to returning to the world-famous circuit but was wary of the challenges it presents.
“I have quite a few laps under my belt there, but you can never underestimate a track like Bathurst. We approach it with an open mind and take it as it comes.
“It’s arguably the best track in Australia. The sensation you get when you cross the mountain for the first time, there is nothing like it
“Competing against these drivers has been fantastic, and I believe that if we stay focused, we have the speed to come out on top at Bathurst.
Kumho V8 Touring Car Series will be one of seven exciting categories to join the bill at Mount Panorama this November, joining the likes of Kumho TCR World Tour and Supercheap Auto TCR Australia, National Trans Am Series, Gulf Western Oil Touring Car Masters, Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia, International Open Wheel Cavalcade and the combined Mobil 1 Australian Production Cars and Monochrome GT4 Australia.
Tickets for the event are available for purchase here.
The final round of Kumho V8 Touring Car Series will take place at Supercheap Auto Bathurst International on 10-12 November.
