BATHURST 1000 winner Jason Bargwanna has admitted he mulled over making a racing return next month at Sandown.
When Bargwanna Motorsport, which runs under the Garry Rogers Motorsport umbrella, announced a S5000 naming rights deal with Hangcha Forklifts, it simultaneously indicated the partnership would extend to TCR Australia to underpin a fifth GRM Peugeot.
While the Hangcha S5000 backing was allocated to Jason’s son Ben, the TCR component was for an unnamed driver, with Ben continuing on in Burson Auto Parts colours.
It turns out Jason Bargwanna, 52, was in the frame to make a comeback at one stage.
Jason won a TCR Australia race two years ago, but was more than happy to remain on the sidelines with Clay Richards instead getting the nod for Sandown.
“Once we were able to sit down and talk to Hangcha about what we were doing here to put the program together, there was a point where I was actually going to pull out the helmet and have a go,” Jason revealed.
“But when I watched Clay drive at Winton, he became an obvious choice.
“The plan was to give a young guy a go, Garry (Rogers) gave me a go many years prior, he did the same for Steven, and Jim and myself finished on the podium at Bathurst.
“Watching Clay through karts, Formula Ford and Toyota 86s, he was an easy choice.
“I think it’s going to be exciting for him to debut in the Hangcha Peugeot at Sandown.”
Richards has one round start under his belt in TCR, having made a cameo in a Melbourne Performance Centre Audi at Winton earlier this year.
