Benjamin Bargwanna (born 10 April 2001 in Warragul) is a racing driver from Australia. He is the son of Bathurst 1000 winner Jason Bargwanna and grandson to Australian Production Car Champion Harry Bargwanna.[1]

Benjamin Bargwanna
Bargwanna during the 2023 Macau Guia Race
Nationality Australian
Born (2001-04-10) 10 April 2001 (age 23)
Warragul, Victoria
Related toJason Bargwanna (father)
Harry Bargwanna (grand father)
Alf Bargwanna (great uncle)
Scott Bargwanna (cousin)
Jude Bargwanna (second cousin)
TCR Australia
Years active2021–current
TeamsGRM Hangcha Racing
Starts77
Wins3
Podiums11
Poles3
Fastest laps0
Best finish7th in 2023 & 2024
Championship titles
2018Victorian Hyundai Excel Series
Awards
2021TCR Australia Rookie of the year

Junior Career

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Ben Bargwanna started in karts as a child finishing second in the Victorian Karting Championship KA3 Junior class [2] before moving into various Hyundai Excel series in 2016.[3][4] In 2017 he finished third in the Hyundai Excel Nations and in 2018 won the Victorian Series.[5]

In 2019 he moved to Formula Ford driving a Spectrum to second in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship.[6] In 2020, he again raced in the Victorian Formula Ford Championship and was leading the point score when the season was cancelled due to COVID-19 restrictions.[7]

TCR Australia

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In 2021, he joined his father Jason Bargwanna[8] in the TCR Australia Touring Car Series driving a Peugeot 308. That year he took the 'Rookie of the Year' award [9] and finished tenth in the standings. 2022 he again raced a Peugeot 308, again finishing tenth and winning his first race at Sandown Raceway.

For 2023 Bargwanna again did the whole Australia series along with six rounds of the TCR World Tour in the aging Peugeot 308. He finished seventh in the Australian Series with a pole position and three podiums his highlights.

S5000

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Bargwanna had his first taste of the S5000 at the first round of the 2021 S5000 Tasman Series running in the top ten.[10] His next race was at the Australian Grand Prix support round in the 2022 S5000 Australian Drivers' Championship again running in the top ten. His first full season was in the 2022 S5000 Tasman Series where he finished on the podium in race two and ended up fifth in the championship.

In 2023 he joined the series for the final three rounds and the S5000 Tasman Series finishing third in points for the Tasman Series.

Racing record

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Karting career summary

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Season Series Position
2016 Victorian Kart Championships - KA3 Junior 2nd

Racing career summary

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Season Series Team Races Wins Poles F/Laps Podiums Points Position
2016 Victorian Hyundai Excel Championship Bargwanna Motorsport 3 0 0 0 0 0 NC
2017 Victorian Hyundai Excel Championship Bargwanna Motorsport 11 0 0 0 1 135 11th
Series X3 New South Wales 10 0 0 2 6 128 30th
Australian Hyundai Excel Nationals 3 0 0 0 3 N/A 3rd
2018 Victorian Hyundai Excel Championship Bargwanna Motorsport 11 0 0 1 7 299 1st
Series X3 New South Wales 3 3 1 2 3 250 19th
2019 Australian Formula Ford Championship Bargwanna Motorsport 12 0 0 0 1 ? ?
Victorian Formula Ford Championship 15 0 0 2 6 349 2nd
Formula Ford Fiesta New South Wales 6 0 0 0 0 65 13th
2020 Victorian Formula Ford Championship Bargwanna Motorsport 3 3 0 2 3 100 1st †
2021 TCR Australia Touring Car Series Burson Auto Parts Racing 15 0 1 0 1 333 10th
Supercheap Auto TCR Baskerville Invitational 4 1 0 0 2 118 4th
S5000 Tasman Series Garry Rogers Motorsport 3 0 0 0 0 35 12th
2022 TCR Australia Touring Car Series Burson Auto Parts Racing 20 1 0 0 4 535 10th
S5000 Australian Drivers' Championship Valvoline Garry Rogers Motorsport 3 0 0 0 0 42 15th
S5000 Tasman Series Bargwanna Motorsport 6 0 0 0 1 154 5th
2023 TCR Australia Touring Car Series Burson Auto Parts Racing 21 0 1 0 3 602 7th
TCR World Tour 6 0 1 0 0 35 17th
Team Clairet Sport 6 0 0 0 0
TCR Europe Touring Car Series 4 0 0 0 0 55 17th
S5000 Australian Drivers' Championship Bargwanna Motorsport 9 0 0 0 2 224 8th
S5000 Tasman Series 3 0 0 0 2 86 3rd
2024 TCR Australia Touring Car Series GRM Hangcha Racing 21 2 0 1 3 623 7th

† Championship cancelled after 3 races due to Covid-19 pandemic.

Complete S5000 results

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Year Series Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Position Points
2021 Tasman Garry Rogers Motorsport SMP
R1

9
SMP
R2

10
SMP
R3

10
BAT
R4
BAT
R5
BAT
R6
BAT
R7

C
12th 35
2022 Australian Garry Rogers Motorsport SYM
R1
SYM
R2
SYM
R3
PHI
R4
PHI
R5
PHI
R6
MEL
R7

9
MEL
R8

9
MEL
R9

9
SMP
R10
SMP
R11
SMP
R12
HID
R13
HID
R14
HID
R15
15th 42
2022 Tasman Bargwanna Motorsport SUR
R1

4
SUR
R2

3
SUR
R3

4
ADL
R4

6
ADL
R5

5
ADL
R6

8
5th 154
2023 Australian Bargwanna Motorsport SYM
R1
SYM
R2
SYM
R3
PHI
R4
PHI
R5
PHI
R6
WIN
R7
WIN
R8
WIN
R9
SMP
R10

4
SMP
R11

4
SMP
R12

4
BEN
R13

6
BEN
R14

6
BEN
R15

5
ADL
R16

4
ADL
R17

3
ADL
R18

3
8th 224

TCR Australia results

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Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Position Points
2021 Burson Auto Parts Racing Peugeot 308 TCR SYM
R1

13
SYM
R2

10
SYM
R3

14
PHI
R4

8
PHI
R5

9
PHI
R6

6
BAT
R7

12
BAT
R8

12
BAT
R9

17
SMP
R10

21
SMP
R11

9
SMP
R12

8
BAT
R13

2
BAT
R14

Ret
BAT
R15

12
10th 333
2022 Burson Auto Parts Racing Peugeot 308 TCR SYM
R1

13
SYM
R2

10
SYM
R3

Ret
PHI
R4

10
PHI
R5

2
PHI
R6

3
BAT
R7

2
BAT
R8

7
BAT
R9

6
SMP
R10

19
SMP
R11

19
SMP
R12

8
QLD
R13

Ret
QLD
R14

12
QLD
R15

12
SAN
R16

10
SAN
R17

1
SAN
R18

5
BAT
R19

5
BAT
R20

C
BAT
R21

Ret
10th 329
2023 Burson Auto Parts Racing Peugeot 308 TCR SYM
R1

4
SYM
R2

Ret
SYM
R3

8
PHI
R4

5
PHI
R5

3
PHI
R6

3
WIN
R7

7
WIN
R8

9
WIN
R9

9
QLD
R13

6
QLD
R14

8
QLD
R15

9
SAN
R16

6
SAN
R17

6
SAN
R18

6
SMP
R19

18
SMP
R20

Ret
SMP
R21

Ret
BAT
R22

Ret
BAT
R23

12
BAT
R24

10
7th 602
2024 GRM Hangcha Racing Peugeot 308 TCR SAN
R1

1
SAN
R2

7
SAN
R3

1
SYM
R4

5
SYM
R5

4
SYM
R6

9
PHI
R7

4
PHI
R8

5
PHI
R9

2
BND
R10

10
BND
R11

7
BND
R12

9
QLD
R13

7
QLD
R14

12
QLD
R15

8
7th 623
Peugeot 308 P51 TCR SMP
R19

9
SMP
R20

6
SMP
R21

7
BAT
R22

8
BAT
R23

Ret
BAT
R24

8

* Season still in progress.

TCR Europe results

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Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Position Points
2023 Team Clairet Sport -
Burson Auto Parts Racing
Peugeot 308 TCR ALG
R1

9
ALG
R2

4
PAU
R3
PAU
R4
SPA
R4

Ret
SPA
R6

8
HUN
R7
HUN
R8
CPR
R9
CPR
R10
MNZ
R11
MNZ
R12
BAR
R13
BAR
R14
17th 55

TCR World Tour results

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Year Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Position Points
2023 Team Clairet Sport -
Burson Auto Parts Racing
Peugeot 308 TCR ALG
R1

17
ALG
R2

12
SPA
R3

Ret
SPA
R4

17
VAL
R5
VAL
R6
HUN
R7
HUN
R8
VBF
R9
VBF
R10
JCB
R11
JCB
R12
SMP
R13

18
SMP
R14

NC
SMP
R15

NC
BAT
R16

Ret
BAT
R17

12
BAT
R18

11
MAC
R19

12
MAC
R20

Ret
17th 35

Complete Bathurst 6 Hour results

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Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
pos.
2021   Bargwanna Motorsport   Jude Bargwanna Volkswagen Golf Mk5 GTI D 116 19th 2nd
2022   Bargwanna Motorsport   Jude Bargwanna Audi TT RS A1 127 9th 2nd
2023   Bargwanna Motorsport   Jude Bargwanna Audi TT RS A1 87 DNF

References

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  1. ^ https://www.burson.com.au/news/third-generation-bargwanna-family-duo-finish-second-in-class-at-bathurst-six-hour THIRD GENERATION BARGWANNA FAMILY DUO FINISH SECOND IN CLASS AT BATHURST SIX HOUR. Burson Auto Parts webpage.
  2. ^ https://www.kartingvic.net.au/2016-victorian-kart-championship-round-4-elkc-ka3-junior/ KA3 Junior Class – 2016 Victorian Kart Championship Round 4 at ELKC. Karting Victoria.
  3. ^ https://wwos.nine.com.au/motorsport/speedseries-2022-news-how-a-bathurst-1000-winners-son-who-hated-racing-grew-to-love-the-sport/9c6398cd-43a5-4e50-8eed-3a53e46536dc How a Bathurst 1000 winner's son who hated racing grew to love the sport. Wide World of Sports webpage. Sep 9th, 2022
  4. ^ https://www.speedcafe.com/2017/02/22/bargs-junior-ready-car-racing-debut/ Bargs junior ready for car racing debut. SpeedCafe. 22nd February 2017
  5. ^ http://vsrs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/vsrs-final-points-2018.pdf 2018 Victorian Motor Racing Series points score
  6. ^ http://vsrs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/2019-vscrc-final.pdf 2019 Victorian Motor Racing Series points score
  7. ^ http://vsrs.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/VSRS-Points-2020.pdf 2020 Victorian Motor Racing Series points score
  8. ^ https://au.motorsport.com/tcr-australia/news/father-son-bargwanna-team-tcr/4850235/ Famous father/son duo team up in TCR. Motorsport.com Aug 6, 2020
  9. ^ https://tcraustralia.com/2021/12/07/ben-bargwanna-thrilled-to-receive-tcr-rookie-of-the-year/ BEN BARGWANNA THRILLED TO RECEIVE TCR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR. TCR Australia. 7 December 2021
  10. ^ https://autoaction.com.au/2021/10/26/bargwanna-joins-s5000-field BARGWANNA JOINS S5000 FIELD Auto Action October 26, 2021
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Sporting positions
Preceded by
Nathan Blight
Victorian Hyundai Excel Series
Champion

2018
Succeeded by
Ben Grice