# Rob Nguyen > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rob_Nguyen > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Rob_Nguyen.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Nguyen > Source revision: 1354923177 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Australian racing car driver}} {{Use dmy dates|date=January 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=August 2011}} {{BLP sources|date=July 2025}} {{Infobox racing driver | name = Rob Nguyen | image = | imagesize = | caption = | nationality = {{flagicon|AUS}} Australian | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1980|8|18}} | birth_place = {{flagicon|Queensland}} [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane), [Queensland](/source/Queensland) | death_date = | retired = 2005 | relatives = | last_series = [International Formula 3000](/source/International_Formula_3000) | years_active = [2002](/source/2002_International_Formula_3000_season)–[2003](/source/2003_International_Formula_3000_season) | teams = [Team Astromega](/source/Team_Astromega)
[BCN Competición](/source/BCN_Competici%C3%B3n) | starts = 15 | wins = 0 | poles = 0 | fastest_laps = 0 | best_finish = 13th | year = [2002](/source/2002_International_Formula_3000_season) | prev_series = German Formula VW
[Formula Holden 4000](/source/2004_Australian_Drivers'_Championship) | prev_series_years = 2001
2004 | titles = | title_years = | awards = | award_years = }} '''Robert Hoang Nguyen''' (born 18 August 1980 in [Brisbane](/source/Brisbane){{citation needed|date=February 2022}}) is an [Australian](/source/Australians) racing car driver of [Vietnam](/source/Vietnam)ese descent who competed in the 2002 and part of the 2003 [International Formula 3000](/source/International_Formula_3000) (which is now known as Formula 2) seasons before running out of money. He was noted for coming straight into F3000 after only nine previous car races in his life and was at one stage regarded as a potential major talent.{{cite news| title =The stars of tomorrow| publisher =Grandprix.com| url =http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ftnl001.html| date =26 July 2002| accessdate =2007-01-02| archive-date =3 March 2016| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20160303190821/http://www.grandprix.com/ft/ftnl001.html| url-status =dead}}{{cite news| title =Fairytales| publisher =Grandprix.com| url =http://www.grandprix.com/mole/mole16414.html| date =1 February 2002| accessdate =2007-01-02| archive-date =14 December 2006| archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20061214021121/http://www.grandprix.com/mole/mole16414.html| url-status =dead}} ==Career== ===Early career=== After growing up in Australia, Nguyen was sent to the [University of Lausanne](/source/University_of_Lausanne), [Switzerland](/source/Switzerland) to study [Business](/source/Business) in 2000. As a reward for his studies, his parents paid for him to have a test run in a Formula [Opel](/source/Opel) car at an [Austria](/source/Austria)n racing school run by Walter Penker.{{citation needed|date=December 2025}} His first ever run in a racing car was impressive enough for Penker to invite him to take part in a full season of [German](/source/Germany) Formula [VW](/source/Volkswagen) in 2001. Racing under a Swiss license, he finished fifth in the final championship standings, with two podium finishes and a [pole position](/source/pole_position). Penker arranged a [Formula 3000](/source/Formula_3000) test with the [Team Astromega](/source/Team_Astromega), and Nguyen was promptly signed for 2002. ===Formula 3000=== ====2002==== Nguyen lined up for the first International Formula 3000 race of the [2005](/source/2002_Formula_3000_season) season in [Brazil](/source/Brazil) for the [Team Astromega](/source/Team_Astromega) only fifteen months after first sitting in a single-seater racing car and only nine races of the German Formula VW series behind him. Nevertheless, he proved a competent performer despite his lack of experience, finishing thirteenth on his début. He finished fifth in the sixth race of the season at the [Nürburgring](/source/N%C3%BCrburgring), scoring two points which remained his tally for his impressive first year. He was involved in a spectacular collision with [Ricardo Mauricio](/source/Ricardo_Mauricio) at [Monza](/source/Monza), when the [Brazil](/source/Brazil)ian driver hit the back of Nguyen's car and rolled before landing on its wheels and catching fire. However, he did set the fastest time at a test session on the same circuit in June of the same year, beating the times of eventual champion [Sébastien Bourdais](/source/S%C3%A9bastien_Bourdais) and other past and future [Formula One](/source/Formula_One) drivers [Tomáš Enge](/source/Tom%C3%A1%C5%A1_Enge) and [Giorgio Pantano](/source/Giorgio_Pantano).{{cite news| title =Nguyen wows them again| publisher =Grandprix.com| url =http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns06491.html| date =19 June 2002| accessdate =2007-01-02}} ====2003==== Nguyen switched to rookie Spanish team [BCN Competicion](/source/BCN_Competicion) for the [2003](/source/2003_Formula_3000_season) season. He finished eighth at [Imola](/source/Autodromo_Enzo_e_Dino_Ferrari) and fifth at [Barcelona](/source/Circuit_de_Catalunya) to score five points under the revised scoring system, but he could only manage thirteenth at the [A1-Ring](/source/A1-Ring). By the next race, in [Monaco](/source/Circuit_de_Monaco), Nguyen had run out of funding and lost his drive with the team, to be replaced by [Will Langhorne](/source/Will_Langhorne).{{cite news| title =Langhorne joins Formula 3000 trail| publisher =Grandprix.com| url =http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns11254.html| date =30 May 2003| accessdate =2007-01-02}} There was no other deal available, and Nguyen was forced to drop out of the series. He appeared in a testing session at the end of the year with [Coloni](/source/Enzo_Coloni_Racing_Car_Systems),{{cite news| title =Nguyen back in Formula 3000| publisher =Grandprix.com| url =http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns12183.html| date =20 November 2003| accessdate =2007-01-02}} but he did not race again. ===Formula Holden=== Nguyen returned to his home country in [2004](/source/2004_Australian_Drivers'_Championship) to race in the Australian [Formula 4000 Holden](/source/Formula_Holden) series with Hocking Motorsport, finishing third in the championship with two wins, five podiums, a [pole position](/source/pole_position) and 82 points from the seven races in the series. He was again left without a drive in 2005, and now only races for sport.{{cite news| first=Richard| last=Jenkins| title =The Formula 3000 drivers - Where are they now?| publisher =OldRacingCars.com| url =http://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Rob_Nguyen| accessdate =2007-01-08}} ==Career summary== {| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |- ! Season ! Series ! Position ! Car ! Team |- ! 2001 | Formula Volkswagen Germany | align=center| 5th | ? - Volkswagen | Penker Racing |- ! 2002 | [International Formula 3000 season](/source/2002_International_Formula_3000_season) | align=center| 13th | Lola B2/50 - Zytek | [Team Astromega](/source/Team_Astromega) |- ! 2003 | [International Formula 3000 season](/source/2003_International_Formula_3000_season) | align=center| 15th | Lola B2/50 - Zytek | [BCN F3000](/source/BCN_Competici%C3%B3n) |- !rowspan=2| 2004 | [Australian Drivers' Championship](/source/2004_Australian_Drivers'_Championship) | align=center style="background-color:#ffdf9f"| '''3rd''' |rowspan=2| Reynard 97D - Holden |rowspan=2| Hocking Motorsport |- | [Australian Formula 4000](/source/2004_Australian_Drivers'_Championship) | align=center style="background-color:#ffdf9f"| '''3rd''' |- ! 2011 | World Time Attack Challenge - Open class | align=center| 18th | Honda CRX | 101 Motorsport |- !rowspan=2| 2012 | World Time Attack Challenge | align=center| 18th |rowspan=2| Honda CRX |rowspan=2| 101 Motorsport |- | Australian Japanese Nationals | align=center style="background:#ffffbf;"| '''1st''' |- !rowspan=2| 2013 | World Time Attack Challenge - Pro-Am class | align=center| 6th |rowspan=2| Honda CRX |rowspan=2| 101 Motorsport |- | Australian Japanese Nationals | align=center| 10th |- !rowspan=2| 2014 | World Time Attack Challenge - Pro-Am class | align=center| 4th |rowspan=2| Honda CRX |rowspan=2| 101 Motorsport |- | Australian Japanese Nationals | align=center style="background:#ffffbf;"| '''1st''' |- ! 2015 | World Time Attack Challenge - Pro-Am class | align=center style="background-color:#ffdf9f"| '''3rd''' | Honda CRX | 101 Motorsport |- !rowspan=2| 2016 | World Time Attack Challenge - Pro-Am class | align=center style="background:#dfdfdf;"| '''2nd''' |rowspan=2| Honda CRX |rowspan=2| 101 Motorsport |- | Australian Japanese Nationals | align=center | 10th |- ! 2017 | World Time Attack Challenge - Pro-Am class | align=center style="background:#ffffbf;"| '''1st''' | Honda CRX | 101 Motorsport |- | | |} ===Complete International Formula 3000 results=== ([key](/source/%3ATemplate%3AMotorsport_driver_results_legend)) (Races in '''bold''' indicate '''pole position'''; races in ''italics'' indicate ''fastest lap''.) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%" ! Year ! Entrant ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! DC ! Points |- | [2002](/source/2002_International_Formula_3000_season) !nowrap| [Team Astromega](/source/Team_Astromega) |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [INT](/source/Aut%C3%B3dromo_Jos%C3%A9_Carlos_Pace)
{{small|13}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [IMO](/source/Autodromo_Enzo_e_Dino_Ferrari)
{{small|11}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [CAT](/source/Circuit_de_Catalunya)
{{small|14}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [A1R](/source/%C3%96sterreichring)
{{small|9}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [MON](/source/Circuit_de_Monaco)
{{small|Ret}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [NUR](/source/N%C3%BCrburgring)
{{small|5}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [SIL](/source/Silverstone_Circuit)
{{small|15}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [MAG](/source/Circuit_de_Nevers_Magny-Cours)
{{small|11}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [HOC](/source/Hockenheimring)
{{small|11}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [HUN](/source/Hungaroring)
{{small|10}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [SPA](/source/Circuit_de_Spa-Francorchamps)
{{small|15}} |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [MNZ](/source/Autodromo_Nazionale_Monza)
{{small|Ret}} ! 13th ! 2 |- | [2003](/source/2003_Formula_3000_season) !nowrap| [BCN F3000](/source/BCN_Competici%C3%B3n) |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [IMO](/source/Autodromo_Enzo_e_Dino_Ferrari)
{{small|8}} |style="background:#DFFFDF;"| [CAT](/source/Circuit_de_Catalunya)
{{small|5}} |style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [A1R](/source/%C3%96sterreichring)
{{small|13}} | [MON](/source/Circuit_de_Monaco) | [NUR](/source/N%C3%BCrburgring) | [MAG](/source/Circuit_de_Nevers_Magny-Cours) | [SIL](/source/Silverstone_Circuit) | [HOC](/source/Hockenheimring) | [HUN](/source/Hungaroring) | [MNZ](/source/Autodromo_Nazionale_Monza) ! ! ! 15th ! 5 |- ! colspan="16" |{{center|{{small|Source:{{cite web|title=Rob Nguyen|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/drivers/rob-nguyen/|work=Motor Sport|accessdate=17 September 2021}}}}}} |} ==References== {{reflist}} {{refbegin}} * {{cite web |url=http://www.driverdb.com/racingdriver194.html |title=Career statistics |website=driverdb.com |access-date=2 January 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710161605/http://www.driverdb.com/racingdriver194.html |archive-date=10 July 2011}} {{refend}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Nguyen, Rob}} Category:1980 births Category:Australian people of Vietnamese descent Category:Sportspeople of Vietnamese descent Category:Formula Holden drivers Category:International Formula 3000 drivers Category:Living people Category:Racing drivers from Brisbane Category:Sportsmen from Queensland Category:Team Astromega drivers Category:Racing drivers from Queensland Category:21st-century Australian sportsmen --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Rob Nguyen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Nguyen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rob_Nguyen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.