Paul is the one in red Jacket and letter S :)

Do you know our leader in Betsafe Driver competition, Paul Barszcz? Or, it’s better to say – Paul Alexander Barszcz Jr.? Now you can meet him!

Hi Paul! I must say, that you have kind of Polish surname. Are you Pole?
No. I was born in Canada and lived here in Montreal for my whole life.

So what about your origins? Your parents or grandparents are from Poland?
My parents were born in Europe. My mother is from Wrocław (Poland) and my father is from a small village in former Czechoslovakia called Moravská Nová Ves. They lived in Europe for a part of their life, but they decided to move to Canada, leaving their family behind. They later met each other in Montreal and got married.

You’re doing very well in our competition. Can you explain us what is your way of thinking and where have you promoted yourself?
After I became aware that Gumball 3000 and Betsafe were planning to give away a spot in the 2010 rally, I immediately knew that I had to participate in the competition. This meant making a video in which I explained that I would use Alex Roy’s smarts and Rob Lonman’s boldness during the rally.

I also included some footage of us dealing with Montreal’s winter in our own, truly Canadian, way. To promote my entry, I first told friends in person. Then I used Facebook as tool to spread the word. This worked and I began to slowly by surely climb the leaderboard. Once I knew that I had a good chance in winning, I then posted on local car forums.

The word spread like a forest fire and everyone wanted to help in some way. Friends told their friends and before you knew it, I was one of the top 5 contestants. Promoting something is not that hard when you know the right people.

Have you known Betsafe before Betsafe Driver campaign?
Since Betsafe’s target audience is mostly for the Scandinavian countries, I was never exposed to its existence before the contest, but this has changed when I learned about the Driver Campaign.


What do you think about Betsafe?
Betsafe’s website is simple, user friendly, and it is good that they offer 3 types of online betting. A couple things I might suggest to expand business would be to include more North American sports. I also propose to offer Paypal and GoogleCheckout as deposit options, it would be easier for more international users to join the site.

And what about Gumball 3000 campaign?
As for the Gumball 3000 competition, you are doing a great job in promoting your business by partnering with the event. For future events, you could try and consider using Facebook Ads to spread your  word. This method is still fresh and targets countless viewers. One last thing I must mention is that Betsafe’s customer service is one of the best I’ve come across. For every question or problem I had, they were the immediately to assist me.

Is Gumball your biggest dream?
Ever since I saw “Gumball 3000: The Movie”(2003), I knew I had to take part in this Rally one day. I loved the cars, the people, and mostly the crazy things that happen during the ride. I’ve watched all the TV show specials and films made. I even read Alex Roy’s book titled “The Driver” and watched his countless videos about his projects.

His work and accomplishments are really inspiring for me. Given that this event is mostly for the exclusive, I could only dream of taking part. But only until now, thanks to Betsafe’s generosity, I have a good chance of making these dreams a reality.

Why do you love the Gumball 3000 and want to participate in it?
The cars, the parties, the women, the cities. These are all part of the ambiance, but the main reason why I’d love to take part in the Gumball Rally is to sit behind the wheel of the Porsche Panamera and take on the journey. Driving through all those beautiful Scandinavian cities and then across North America is an experience you cannot describe in words.

A gathering of exceptional cars riding along side each other is something any enthusiast must take part of.

Can you tell me something about Montreal’s Car Community?
There are so many ways to describe it. We all know each other one way or another. Thanks to online forums, it has become easier for us to stay connected together and organize events. We show up in small and big numbers to share our stories, our cars, and our passion.

Montreal’s scene is so immense that there are countless sub-communities, ranging from euro tuners, to old school muscle cars, to mutual friends living in the same local area. For this reason, myself and a couple other friends put together a blog/forum to share our obsession. Cars are our life, all day, every day, 365 days a year.

Last question – do you have any advice for others who want to succeed?
I would like to quote Gurbaksh Chahal by saying: “Always surround yourself with people who want you to succeed… in the real world, you will discover that most people are rooting for you to fail. Stay away from them.” Always keep a positive attitude and focus on your goals. If you REALLY want something, then do everything in your power to get it.

Here you can find Paul’s movie

Compete in the Betsafe Driver Gumball 3000 competition here