Australia’s Burson Auto Parts has announced the company’s return to the TCR Australia Championship with Ben Bargwanna and Garry Rogers Motorsport (GRM) in 2023.
The son of 2000 Bathurst 1000 Champion Jason Bargwanna, Ben will be competing in his third TCR season as the driver of the Burson Auto Parts Racing Peugeot 308, which will include a total of seven exciting rounds across Australia.
The 2023 TCR Australia Championship will commence at Tasmania’s Symmons Plains Raceway (Feb. 24-26) moving onto Victoria’s Phillip Island Grand Prix Circuit (May 12-14) and continuing its first Victorian stint at Benalla’s Winton Raceway (June 9-11). The championship then visits Sydney Motorsport Park (June 23-25) and Queensland Raceway (Aug. 9-11) before returning to Melbourne’s Sandown Raceway (Sept. 8-10), with the Grand Finale set for Bathurst’s Mount Panorama (Nov. 10-12).
Burson Auto Parts also is partnering with a group of the company’s suppliers to the 2023 TCR Australia Championship challenge. The automotive brands that will be riding with Bargwanna and Burson Auto Parts throughout the season are DBA, Mann Filter, Raceworks, Roadsafe, Bosch, Nulon, Precision Automotive Equipment, Chicane Tools and EzyParts.
Along with all seven national TCR Australia rounds, the Burson Auto Parts sponsored driver and team also announced their international touring car racing debut, competing in the opening two rounds of the 2023 TCR World Tour.
This latest development in Bargwanna’s burgeoning motor racing career will see the 21-year-old Burson Auto Parts ambassador compete at the Portimao circuit in Portugal (April 28-30), along with the world famous Spa-Francorchamps circuit in Belgium (May 26-28).
The TCR World Tour is a new for 2023 series that will ultimately crown a TCR World Champion. The Bathurst round in November is the second last of nine TCR World Tour rounds that will traverse Europe, South America, China and Australia.
Bargwanna’s name will be added to an illustrious list of Australian motor racing stars that include Peter Brock, Allan Moffat, Allan Grice and John Harvey who all ventured to Europe to tackle the world’s best touring car drivers during the mid-80s. Bargwanna’s journey will also be captured for Aussie motorsport fans through a behind the scenes documentary-style production that will be aired exclusively on Stan Sport.
The 2023 season launch of the Burson Auto Parts TCR Team livery took place at the Garry Rogers Motorsport engineering headquarters in Melbourne on Feb. 9. The reveal of the team’s striking new red and blue livery was live-streamed to millions of motorsport fans in Australia and around the world.
“A lot of work has gone on behind the scenes to make this happen and I cannot thank Burson Auto Parts enough for the chance to represent this proud Australian automotive aftermarket company on the world stage, while also fighting for the TCR Australia title,” Ben Bargwanna said.
“Our main goal is to win the Australian title, but I am sure my three other GRM Peugeot team-mates will start the year with the same objective. I look forward to building a strong campaign and delivering the result that the team deserves. Representing Australia at a World Championship level makes me feel one foot taller with pride and excitement for the season ahead,” he added.
Bapcor Trade Group Marketing and Communications Manager, Fiona Gotas, said the company is looking forward to the new season ahead. “We are proud to continue our partnership with young TCR star driver Ben Bargwanna and Garry Rogers Motorsport. We look forward to a safe and exciting 2023 season. We are also very pleased to welcome a group of our valued suppliers who represent some of the biggest brands in the automotive aftermarket who are also coming along for the exciting ride ahead.”
Burson Auto Parts Racing Team Principal Jason Bargwanna can’t wait for the 2023 season to get underway both locally and internationally: “We are so proud to partner with Burson Auto Parts and GRM to tackle the TCR Australia Series. Ben has come of age in the last couple of seasons, so we start the 2023 season with our eyes firmly set on the championship victory. His track record includes pole positions, podiums and race wins, so now it’s about putting that all together to compete for the championship,” he stated.
The opening round of the 2023 TCR Australia Series will be held at Launceston’s Symmons Plains Raceway from Feb. 24 to 26.
