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Alongside the "Modern" categories runners fighting for overall victory, there is
a large field of "Classic" cars in action, here entry #524,
Ross Williams and Katrina Hardie in a 1975
Fiat 124 Sport CC, are seen in action during
yesterday's four leg. |
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Lamborghini
driver Jason White is poised to win his second Targa
Tasmania tarmac rally crown after building up a
commanding one minute and nine second lead heading into
today's final leg of the six-day classic.
Driving his newly-built Lamborghini Gallardo Super
Trofeo "Strada", White has used all his local knowledge
to claim the advantage, taking a stranglehold on the
event. He demonstrated his skills in the tricky
conditions down the west coast of the state, moving
further ahead of Ray Vandersee in a Skelta G-Force and
2009 winner Tony Quinn's Nissan GT-R.
Victorian Rex Broadbent is set to take back-to-back
Classic titles in his Porsche 911 RS, while Tasmanian
Tony Warren still leads the Showroom class and looks set
for his second win.
White, who last won Targa Tasmania in 2005 at the wheel
of a Nissan Skyline GT-R, was happy with his day, but
predictably, he wasn't claiming victory just yet,
knowing that today’s final leg of seven stages across
120 competitive kilometres will prove to be a real test
of man and machine.
"There's probably a good 10 or 12 kilometres of road
that I haven't seen in competition before, or made
pacenotes for, so hopefully we'll have enough of a
buffer to not really have to take too many risks in the
last few stages," White said. "Our tyres are quite hard
so we don't have a tyre wear issue."
Vandersee and his rear-wheel drive Skelta set a
scorching pace throughout the day, but failed to make
in-roads into White's lead. "We'll just continue to
drive as hard as we can tomorrow, but our tyres are in
such good condition still that we won't even use our
fifth and sixth tyres, which does suggest that they're
probably a little bit too hard for the conditions we've
been experiencing," he explained. "Tomorrow's stages are
a lot faster, so I think we'll do alright there, even if
it is wet."
Third placed Tony Quinn could have been closer to the
lead had it not been for some computer issues in his
Nissan GT-R, yet he still lies a solid third, ahead of
Steve Jones (Nissan) and Jamie Vandenberg (Mitsubishi).
Broadbent came under pressure early in the day from
Datsun 240Z driver Jon Siddins, who narrowed the lead to
under a minute and a half mid-way through the day. But
Siddins crashed on the Hellyer Gorge stage, leaving the
Porsche driver well clear of the pack. "We've got a good
break, so we are going to take it a little easy and I'm
not going to take any risks," he said. "You don't change
the recipe if it's working right." In second place is
fellow Porsche driver Peter Eames, with Paul Batten an
incredible third in his 1961 Volvo PV544.
Warren looks all but assured of a second Showroom
victory as he enters the final day with a lead over 90
seconds. The Lancer driver pulled further ahead of
fellow Mitsubishi driver Dean Evans, who struck problems
on the day's final stage. The front-wheel drive Mazda3
MPS of Brendan Reeves continues to impress in and is now
up to second place. "I'm very happy with the lead we've
got at the moment," Warren said. "Maybe we can afford to
knock the speed back a little bit through some of the
longer stages and hopefully coast into Hobart. We've had
no problems with the car at all. The tyres have hung on
really well. We can put some more on tonight, so it will
be all good for tomorrow." Leading the Early Modern
competition category is Gavin James at the wheel of a
1989 Porsche 944.
The highlights of the final day of the 2010 edition of
the Targa Tasmania today will be the event’s longest
stage, the 56 kilometre Arrowsmith, and the final
spectator stage near the Hobart Airport where a big
crowd is expected. The winners will spray the champagne
at Hobart's Wrest Point on 4pm this afternoon.
Targa Tasmania,
provisional results after Day 4
PURE TASMANIA MODERN
COMPETITION
1. Jason White (TAS) / John White (TAS), 2010
Lamborghini Gallardo Super Trofeo Strada
2. Ray Vandersee (QLD) / Cameron Reeves (QLD), 2009
Skelta G-Force S/C Spec A, +1m09s
3. Tony Quinn (QLD) / Naomi Tillett (SA), 2009 Nissan
GT-R, +3m25s
4. Steve Jones (WA) / Ben Searcy (WA), 2008 Nissan GT-R,
+3m52s
5. Jamie Vandenberg (TAS) / Simon Vandenberg (TAS), 2006
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, +4m32s
6. Jim Richards (VIC) / Barry Oliver (TAS), 2010 Porsche
911 GT3 RS, +5m06s
7. Dean Herridge (WA) / Glen Weston (QLD), 2008 Subaru
Impreza WRX STi, +6m43s
8. Tony Alford (QLD) / Karl Farmer (QLD), 2007 Nissan
GT-R, +9m46s
9. Angus Kennard (NSW) / Damien Grimwood (TAS), 2007
Subaru Impreza WRX STi Spec C, +10m32s
10. Simon Bartter (NSW) / Ian Wheeler (TAS), 2009 Subaru
Impreza STi, +10m57s
SHANNONS CLASSIC
OUTRIGHT
1. Rex Broadbent (VIC) / Chris Randell (VIC), 1974
Porsche 911 Carrera RS
2. Peter Eames (VIC) / Will Logan (TAS), 1974 Porsche
911 RS, +3m32s
3. Paul Batten (VIC) / Mike Batten (NSW), 1961 Volvo
PV544, +5m48s
4. David Cooper (TAS) / Jason Dann (TAS), 1977 Holden
Torana A9X, +7m56s
5. John Ireland (NSW) / Michael Ribot (NSW), 1977
Porsche 911 RS, +10m03s
6. George Pethard Jnr (NSW) / Adrian Johnstone (NSW),
1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3, +11m38s
7. Barry Faux (ACT) / Therezia Mihajlovic (ACT), 1979
Mazda RX-7, +13m02s
8. Peter Ullrich (NSW) / Sari Ullrich (NSW), 1963 Jensen
CV8, +13m10s
9. Richard Woodward (NSW) / David McCrow (NSW), 1969
Holden Monaro GTS, +13m43s
10. Drew Kent (TAS) / Paul Krawczyk (TAS), 1971 Ford
Falcon GT, +16m49s
PURE TASMANIA SHOWROOM
COMPETITION
1. Tony Warren (TAS) / Natasha Deniese (VIC), 2006
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX
2. Brendan Reeves (VIC) / Rhianon Smyth (VIC), 2009
Mazda3 MPS, +1m41s
3. Dean Evans (NSW) / Simone Bachmann (VIC), 2008 TMR
Evolution X Club Spec, +1m44s
4. Scott Millar (QLD) / Christopher Dean (QLD), 2008
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, +8m10s
5. Andrew Lane (VIC) / Craig Lawrence (VIC), 2009
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, +15m09s
6. Greg Burrowes (QLD) / Rhonda Burrowes (QLD), 2008
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X, +17m06s
7. Chris Long (TAS) / Stuart Lister (VIC), 2004
Volkswagen Golf R32, +19m02s
8. Mark Connolly (VIC) / Ann Connolly (VIC) 2006
Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX, +23m04s
9. Peter Brown (NSW) / Stewart Gamble (NSW), 2007 Mazda
3 Diesel, +25m40s
10. Michael Hurford (TAS) / Keegan Buckley (TAS), 2005
Mitsubishi Evolution Lancer IX, +27m30s
SHANNONS CLASSIC
HANDICAP
1. Paul Batten (VIC) / Mike Batten (NSW), 1961 Volvo
PV544
2. Peter Ullrich (NSW) / Sari Ullrich (NSW), 1963 Jensen
CV8, +7m34s
3. John Ireland (NSW) / Michael Ribot (NSW), 1977
Porsche 911 RS, +11m52s
4. George Pethard Jnr (NSW) / Adrian Johnstone (NSW),
1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3, +13m27s
5. Barry Faux (ACT) / Therezia Mihajlovic (ACT), 1979
Mazda RX-7, +14m14s
PURE TASMANIA EARLY
MODERN
1. Gavin James (VIC) / Tim Kulhanek (TAS), 1989 Porsche
944 S2
2. Andrew Richmond (VIC) / Chris Thomson (VIC), 2001
Nissan Skyline GT-R V-Spec II N1, +1m40s
3. Jeff Beable (VIC) / Nerida Beable (VIC), 2000 Nissan
Skyline GT-R V-Spec N1, +3m50s
4. Brendan Manion (TAS) / Travis Dean, 1995 Nissan
Skyline GT-R V-Spec N1, +8m32s
5. Stephen Thatcher (NSW) / Kelly Handley (NSW), 1994
Nissan ATTKD Select R SP, +8m35
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