This year's edition of the East Coast Targa Rally - which started yesterday from Sydney’s Olympic Park - has attracted many exotic marques, and the centre of attention those over the next four days will be a Ferrari Challenge Stradale. Imported from Italy prior to last year's event, the beautiful black Ferrari Challenge Stradale is being driven this time by Phil Griffin and Mark Williamson, just as it was in 2004.

This year’s all tarmac rally is being run between August 24th and 27th, with Bathurst the host venue for the final three days of the event, where there will be nine special stages conducted on and around the famous Mount Panorama circuit.

The Challenge Stradale is powered by a 425bhp, 3.6-litre V8 engine, and has a top speed of 300km/h. Last year it thrilled people around the course, particularly as it made its way up the famous mountain during the special stages, shifting through its six speed semi automated gearbox.

Ferrari developed the Stradale to cope with track use, being comprehensively upgraded from the regular 360 Modena to go harder and faster, with a top speed of 300 km/h. Ferrari technical director Patrizio Moruzzi set out to make the Stradale three seconds per lap faster around the Italian Fiorano circuit than their standard 360. With improved brakes, suspension, tyres, aerodynamics, gearbox shift speed and another 25bhp extracted from the aluminium alloy engine, that challenge was achieved comfortably, improving the lap time by 3.5 seconds.
 

Last years Targa was not only the first for the Stradale, but also for its owner Phil Griffin, a Sydney businessman. Prior to the event, he had never competed in a rally of any form, however, he had been competing competitively in class in the NSW Production Sports Car Championship at different circuits around the state driving a Lotus Elise. Hailing from Leura in the Blue Mountains, Williamson, has great credentials, having raced extensively in Europe in various open wheeler categories.

At home he is a former works Volvo driver in Super Touring, and has had many starts at Mount Panorama. His greatest success was winning the 1999 Bathurst 3 Hour Showroom Showdown with Terry Bosnjack in a Mazda RX-7. Last year, just two weeks prior to the inaugural Chinese Formula One Grand Prix, Williamson and Bathurst’s Mike Reedy became the first Australians to race at the new Shanghai circuit, when they competed in Formula Renaults. Williamson and Reedy are highly qualified and much sought after race driver instructors with Tracktime. Since last years East Coast Targa, Griffin and Williamson kept their eye in, sharing the driving of the Stradale in endurance production racing at both Eastern Creek and Phillip Island, where they put in impressive performances.