The new owner of the Lamborghini Gallardo piloted by pro-golfer Stuart Appleby at last year's Targa Tasmania has confirmed he will enter it in this year's 15th anniversary event from April 25 - 30. This entry from South Australian businessman Kevin Weeks now means that this year's Targa Tasmania will once again be a proving ground for the Gallardos driven last year by golfer Appleby and two-time Nations Cup champion Paul Stokell.

Weeks' acquisition follows in the footsteps of reigning Targa Tasmania champion John White who now owns and will compete this year in the Gallardo previously driven by Stokell.  Impressed by the Gallardo's debut run at the 2005 Targa Tasmania, 55-year-old Weeks bought the all-wheel-drive; V-10 engined Gallardo from Lamborghini Australia just following last year's April event. "I saw the Targa Tasmania DVD and watched the in-car footage of the Gallardo with interest, the power range was unbelievable. When I found out the car's specs and that it weighed in at 1400 kilograms, I just had to have one," said Weeks.

Appleby's performance behind the wheel last year proved the Gallardo to be a perfect suitor to endurance based tarmac rally events, with the golfer finishing an impressive 10th outright in the drivetravel.com modern competition. Appleby's smashing debut result, which was almost outshone by Lamborghini team mate Stokell who led the event before crashing on day three, ultimately enforced Weeks' decision to take the plunge and join the exclusive international list of Gallardo owners.

While the Gallardo and its famous driver were making their international motor sport debut in 2005, Weeks was making a debut of his own. As Targa Tasmania debutantes Weeks and his navigator Jahmeil Taylor finished a sensational sixth outright in the drivetravel.com Modern competition in a two-wheel-drive Porsche GT2.
 

"There is no doubt the Gallardo has the potential to be a winner," said Weeks. "The four-wheel-drive will be a positive advantage, I can't wait! No more wrestling 500bhp through only two wheels."  Like the Whites, Weeks has been able to take advantage of factory upgrades as seen across the Gallardo model range and will be entering the Gallardo as a 2006 model. This year Weeks has nominated 26-year-old Rebecca Crunkhorn as his Targa Tasmania navigator. Crunkhorn, also from South Australia, is new to rallying and has only competed with Weeks in one short-lived Classic Adelaide and more recently in the Mount Buller Sprint where they finished sixth outright, 7.5 seconds in front of reigning Targa Tasmania champions the Whites.

Before this year's event Weeks will also have contested February's Rally Tasmania in his Gallardo. With two events under his belt, Weeks is confident any creases will have been ironed out of car and crew before Targa Tasmania comes to town. "By Targa Tasmania the Gallardo will fit like a glove, I will live in it from January onwards. There is no substitute for miles in the car."

The Kevin Weeks/Rebecca Crunkhorn crew is one of 226 entered in the 15th anniversary staging of Tasmania's 'Ultimate Tarmac Rally', Targa Tasmania, which starts in Launceston on April 25 and ends five days later at the Wrest Point Hotel in Hobart.

Weeks' 2006 Targa Tasmania campaign will add to an already lengthy portfolio in motor sport. Like most aspiring drivers, he embarked on his career in motor sport with a short stint with Go-Karts before moving onto competitive car racing. Before his move to competitive rallying, Weeks raced in a variety of classes including Formula Two, Formula Holden, production car endurance racing at Bathurst, Saloon cars and various hill climbs, achieving honourable results and more state titles. Nowadays, Weeks feeds his motor sport addiction with an arsenal of both classic and modern thoroughbreds and outings at Classic Adelaide, the Mount Buller Sprint, Rally Tasmania and of course, Targa Tasmania.