By Peter Sweeney
NOT many boys can boast having a main street in their home town closed for their 10th birthday.
Ben Bargwanna can.
Ben hit double figures on Saturday – so they closed Palmerston St in Warragul for half an hour.
More accurately, it was to do with Ben’s dad, V8 Supercar driver Jason Bargwanna, who brought his racing car to town.
And though some would think a racing car in the middle of town would turn some people away, there’s a group hoping the opposite is the reality.
When Jason Bargwanna – who recorded a ‘dnf’ (did not finish) in the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide – contests the third round of the 2011 V8 Supercar title at Hamilton, New Zealand on Sunday, trackgoers and a huge television audience will see the word ‘Warragul’ emblazoned on his car.
Behind the unusual drive to attract more businesses and residents to West Gippsland is Jana Living Warragul, whose marketing plan seeks to engage residents in the Shire of Baw Baw with educational and community activities – via the use of Bargwanna and his car.
The marketing campaign includes Bargwanna hosting a road safety course for newly-licensed drivers.
Bargwanna, 38, who moved from Beaconsfield to Warragul a few years ago, was busily signing autographs from his 650hp, six-speed machine on Saturday.
Ben and older brother, Jake, 16, were the envy of many.
“There were so many people there, it was decided to close the street for 30 minutes,” Jason Bargwanna said.
Sorry birthday boy, if you thought it was for you.
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