Targa Tasmania 2007
April 19 -- Leg Two
East Coast
While Team MINI's three MINI Financial Services-sponsored Coopers steadily climbed their way through the 'Pure Tasmania' Targa Tasmania 2007 field during Leg Two, the early leaders of the event struck trouble. Literally!
The route took the tarmac rally from Launceston to Hobart via some of the stages that have made the event famous including Sideling, and the three Passes: Weldborough, St Mary's and Elephant. The day finished with a Targa first -- a night stage at Glenorchy in front of a huge crowd.
The Team Tiger MINI of Paul Stokell and Peter Burrey finished the fast and furious Day Two at Targa with a very impressive 13th overall placing -- the fastest front-wheel drive. Stokell drove the Cooper to top-20 overall placings in every stage of the day.
Meanwhile with co-driver Dale Moscatt in the right seat and the notes being delivered by Simone Buchanan, Team Cheetah MINI held sway in the field finishing an equally impressive 20th. Number one driver, Grant Denyer returns from TV duties today, but he'll have to fight Dale for the seat!
Coming in cold, Moscatt's drive was deemed drive of the day by some pundits.
Team MINI's third entry driven by the writer had a successful day too, claiming a couple of scalps along the way and moving up the overall order to lie in 32nd position overall. Thanks in a large part to some intensive coaching from co-driver Bill Hayes and better rhythm with the snakeskin #988 car, yours truly was pleased to be able to comfortably improve on last year's times on the same stages.
But Targa bites and it's way too early to get cocky for Team MINI yet. Indeed, the sting of the event was felt by the early leaders yesterday. In a dramatic day, the leaders board was thrown wide open after the Mitsubishi Evo pairing of Allan Simonsen and Ben Searcy and the Lamborghini of Jason and John White, both crashed out of the event on the same stage -- Weldborough Pass.
Simonsen had been setting a cracking pace and looked unstoppable after a stunning Day One and two opening stages yesterday. The Whites' experience in the island event also meant they were looking solid. Relatively minor mistakes put both teams out of the rally, however.
For Team MINI the drier conditions of Day Two were a double-edged sword. Dry roads mean the big horsepower cars are able to stretch their legs and aren't as tentative in the twisty stuff. The Team MINI Coopers at least can capitalise on their amazing corner speed and braking performance when it's dry.
With much of the field choosing tyres to cope with the expected wet conditions (you can use only one set of tyres throughout the six days of Targa without penalty), we're hoping for blue skies and dry roads nonetheless. That way when the rally 'proper' starts on Day Four, we'll be sitting pretty with fresh rubber and plenty of corners to use it on. Well, that's the theory.
In the cabin of the Carsales Network supported Team Snake MINI, master technician Hayes and yours truly aren't getting carried away. We're enjoying the fast stuff and the occasional dispatching of a slower (usually much more expensive) cars in the longer stages, but we're sticking to our game plan.
As much as anything Team MINI is keen to retain its excellent reliability and finishing record. A high placing will be a bonus.
THE MAIN EVENT
Day Two ended with a leaders' board that looked highly familiar, featuring 2004 Targa champion Tony Sullens and Julia Rabbett-Barkley, in their 1999 Subaru Impreza WRX RA, six seconds clear of the eight-times event winners, Jim Richards and Barry Oliver's 2007 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Longtime circuit campaigner Tony Longhurst and Michael de Vere also in a WRX are third a further 21 seconds back.
The Shannons Classic competition witnessed less drama, but still provided plenty of fascination as overnight leader, Bill Pye and Grant Geelan driving a 1977 Porsche 911 Carrera were overtaken by pre-event favourite, Rex Broadbent and Michael Goedheer in a 1974 Porsche 911 RS.
Broadbent ended the day 35 seconds clear of his rival with the 1989 Porsche 944 S2 of Gavin James and McLeod in third place, another 13 seconds back.
Day Two also saw the Rookie Rally section of Targa wind up. Though it was no rookie who took out the honours! Five times Australian Rally Champion Ross Dunkerton and co-driver Anthony Chudleigh won the inaugural Rookie title with their Mitsubishi Evo. The prize is a full entry to the 2008 Targa Tasmania and with Dunko running times that would have placed him as high as fourth outright after two days, the 'regulars' better watch out.
Day Three of the five-day Targa Tasmania takes competitors south of Hobart with a further eight stages, before another overnight stop in the state's capital.
Scores - Top Ten drivetravel.com Modern after Leg Two
1. T Sullens/J Barkley, Subaru Impreza WRX RA
2. J.Richards/B.Oliver, Porsche 911 GT3 RS, + 06 secs
3. T. Longhurst/M De Vere, Subaru Impreza WRX STI C spec, +27 s
4. K.Weeks/J.Allen, Lamborghini Super Leggera, +47 secs
5. T. Quinn/KWenn, Porsche 997 Turbo, +1min 05secs
6. M Warwick/C.Murphy, Porsche 911 GT3, + 1:16
7. M. Close/C.Close, Porsche 911 Turbo, + 1:32
8. M.Heskin/N.Deniese, Mitsubishi Evolution Lancer IX RS, +1:51
9. M.Higgins/P.Hansen, Mitsubishi Evolution Lancer IX RS, + 2:10
10. S.Froude/W.Logan, Porsche 911 GT3 CS, + 2:21
Scores - Top Ten Shannons Classic after Leg Two
1. R.Broadbent/M.Goedheer, 1974 Porsche 911 RS
2. B.Pye/G.Geelan, 1977 Porsche 911 Carrera 3, +35secs
3. G.James/N.McLeod, 1989 Porsche 944 S2, +48secs
4. S.Coad/S.Vandenberg, 1972 Holden Monaro GTS, +1min 20secs
5. K.Barwick/P.Walker, 1977 Holden Torana A9X +1:24
6. A.Kaplan/D.Kaplan, 1988 Giocattolo Group B, +1:57
7. P.O'Keefe/J.Winton-Monet, Holden 1977 Torana SLR 5000, +1:58
8. P.Eames/R.Eames, 1976 Porsche 911 Carrera 3, +2:23
9. G.Tierney/D.Carra, 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS, +2:25
10. D.Cooper/Z.White, 1977 Holden Torana A9X, +2:55
Images by Perfect Prints
See also
Targa Tasmania - Day One
Targa Tasmania Prologue
The team behind Team MINI
Pace notes - perfect preparation
To comment on this article click here
Event updates at targatasmania.com.au
Follow the link to Team MINI's news and results from the 2006 Targa Tasmania event here