The Seven Network’s man for all seasons, Grant Denyer, has completed the MINI CHALLENGE puzzle ahead of the new series’ first round this weekend at Eastern Creek International Raceway.

The star of It Takes Two and the Sunrise programs on Australia’s leading television network will join Paul Stokell at DecoRug Motorsport and is raring to go.

“I’ m pretty excited about it” said Grant. “DecoRug Motorsport has given me a great opportunity and when you look at the entry list for this weekend, there’s going to be some tough, tough competition! I think the fans will see a bit of bump and grind given the cars are so close and they are small enough you can fit five wide through turn one at Eastern Creek…and I reckon we might even see that this weekend!

“I’ve raced a MINI on a few occasions now, most recently in Targa Tasmania last year. I had a taste of MINI CHALLENGE a couple of years ago when I raced an invitational event at Imola, where there were a heap of world famous drivers from touring cars, Formula One… and me!

Grant finished in the top five in the Imola invitational event and regularly placed in the top five of stage results in last year’ s Targa, so heads into this season full of confidence.

Denyer’s racing CV is as impressive as his meteoric television rise – he went within a whisker of taking out the Bathurst 12 Hour in February and was credited with a top ten finish in the Bathurst 1000 and Rookie of the Year in 2006. Away from racing, he is the holder of five Guinness World Records.

This weekend, he will lock horns with two former team mates in the form of 2007 V8 Supercar endurance race team mate, Jason Bargwanna and Paul Stokell. Bargwanna is the first of a long line of high profile personalities who will take the wheel of the MINI CHALLENGE UBER-STAR CAR – an entry designed to bring interest to the category, in most cases, from sources outside the traditional motorsport sphere.

There is an exceptionally talented field entered for Eastern Creek.

Heading those challengers will be former Gold Star Champions –Stokell (DecoRug) and Neil McFadyen (Scope Signs & Graphics) – who is driving for former Bathurst privateer champion, Peter Doulman.

The full schedule for MINI CHALLENGE this weekend at Eastern Creek is as follows:

FRIDAY, MARCH 7
Practice 1: 9:30am-9:50am
Practice 2: 11:50am-12:10pm

SATURDAY, MARCH 8
Qualifying: 9:00am-9:20am
Race 1: 11:30am-11:50am

SUNDAY, MARCH 9
Race 2: 10:20am-10:40am
Race 3: 2:35pm-2:55pm

TELEVISION:
Race 3 of MINI CHALLENGE will air nationally on the Seven Network from approximately 3:15pm

Check out the website for more information.