PERTH CARPENTER WINS WA LEG OF THE IRWIN INDUSTRIAL TOOLS ULTIMATE TRADESMAN CHALLENGE

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Nathan Vander Wielen of Eaton in Perth will be the Western Australian representative at the Australia/New Zealand final of the Irwin Industrial Tools Ultimate Tradesman Challenge at the Bathurst 1000 in October.

The 27-year-old beat over 200 other competitors to win the Barbagallo =aceway leg at last weekend's Bigpond 400 V8 Supercar event.

Vander Wielen completed the challenge in just 22.10 seconds winning =1000 of IRWIN Tools and a trip to Bathurst to compete in the ANZ Final and the chance to go on to win $US1.26 million.

The Irwin Industrial Tools Ultimate Tradesman Challenge, which launche= in February at the Clipsal 500 in Adelaide, requires competitors to measure, mark and drill a piece of wood, using IRWIN tools as quickly and accurately as possible.

Vander Wielen took part in the challenge on each day of the event, set=ing his quickest time on the Sunday.

‘I'm over the moon to have won it and I can't wait for Bathurst,=94 said Vander Wielen.

‘As a chippie I use quite a lot of the Irwin Industrial Tools range,=now I'll have to go out and put a whole set in my kit!

‘My partner convinced me to have a go at the Ultimate Tradesman Chal=enge and I set a very good time of around 26 seconds. I then came back the next day for a serious go and I was thrilled with my time.

‘I love my V8s - especially the Fords. Bathurst has always been a =ace I wanted to see ˜ now to be actually going is unreal.

‘To have the chance to win the Australian and New Zealand IRWIN Ulti=ate Tradesman Challenge and get a look inside the IRWIN Racing team is just awesome.

‘The guys from IRWIN have been telling me how serious the competitio= will be at Bathurst. I can't think that my effort to win last weekend will be enough. I'll have to get into some serious training ahead of the final.’

Vander Wielen joins Victorian plumber Shaun Puddy (current time: 23.=1) who won the South Australian leg at the Clipsal 500 and Auckland builder Damian Max (current time 23.82) who won the Hamilton 400 Ultimate Tradesman Challenge.

The champion of the Australia and New Zealand's Ultimate Tradesman C=allenge will win a trip to the USA. There they will compete in the IRWIN International Ultimate Tradesman Challenge on November 9, in Phoenix where they have the chance to become a millionaire.

The next qualifying round for the IRWIN Industrial Tools Ultimate Trad=sman Challenge will be held at the next round of the V8 Supercar Championship Series, the Midas 400 at Sandown International Raceway on 7-9 June.