Argentina – a country synonymous with plenty of South American flair and subtropical temperatures. The fact that winter sport is also popular in Argentina is mostly known only by insiders. At the weekend, the organisers in Buenos Aires put on a fantastic event to mark the world premiere of the clubsport series, at which they demonstrated just how hot-blooded Argentinean passion and cool winter action can go hand in hand.

At the first round of the MINI Challenge Argentina, a large part of the "Autódromo Juan y Oscar Galves" in the capital city looked more like a winter sport venue than a racetrack. Snowboarders thrilled fans with their tricks on two giant ramps. The highlight: a mighty leap over the actual star of the event, the MINI John Cooper Works Challenge.

Party atmosphere, a relaxed lifestyle feeling and a joyous mood prevailed around the track. The fans saw Marcelo Julián storm to victory in his reliable MINI John Cooper Works Challenge, a win that also earned him a place in the history books as the first ever winner of a MINI Challenge race in Argentina, and triggered a huge celebration on the podium, which he shared with Matías Gasparich and Richard Stuart Milne, who finished second and third respectively.

The Argentineans were particularly impressed by the reliability and performance of the MINI John Cooper Works Challenge. The results showed that all the drivers completed there 18 laps with just one second difference between the fastest and the slowest lap.

Fans of the MINI Challenge Argentina can already look forward to more action. This week, the event moves on to Mendoza for the next round. The date and venue had previously not been finalised. It has now been announced that the "Autódromo Jorge Ángel Pena" will host the series on 7th August. Fans will once again be able to enjoy both the race and the fringe programme.

The MINI Motorsport web team congratulates MINI Argentina on a successful premiere. We are looking forward to many more action-packed races, the finest lifestyle feeling, and plenty of Latin American flair, of course.