WHITES SECURE SEVENTH TARGA TASMANIA VICTORY

Targa Tasmania Winners Jason and John White – Photo: Supplied

Jason and John White have withstood ailing tyres to produce a stunning victory in Australia’s showpiece tarmac rally, Targa Tasmania.

After just under 500km of competitive distance across 33 special stages, the Whites set the pace at the front all week.

Leading from the outset, the Dodge Viper duo have now moved to within one win of the all-time event winning record set by the highly decorated former touring car champion Jim Richards and former long-time commentator Barry Oliver.

With a winning margin of 1minute and five seconds, the Viper showed a clean pair of heels throughout the six-day tarmac rally. It was the 21st time the Whites have tackled Targa Tasmania who also claimed victory in the Wrest Point GT2 class.

Steve Glenney and Andy Sarandis completed a solid campaign in their Subaru WRX STI in second place. The pair also took out the RDA Brakes GT4 class and now lead the modern section of the CAMS Australian Targa Championship.

Hobart doctor Michael Pritchard and co-driver Gary Mourant finished third outright and second in GT2 standings in their Porsche. It was their second successive podium at the event.

Paul Stokell and Erin Kelly were fourth in a Lotus Exige S with Angus Kennard and Ian Wheeler fifth in a Nissan GT-R. There were five different manufacturers represented in the top five outright placings.

In the Shannons Classic GT, Michael and Daniel Bray romped to a huge class win. Their 1975 Holden Torana proved unstoppable as it continued to increase the gap on the final day, eventually finishing with a buffer of almost nine minutes over Mark Hammond and Dennis Neagles 1980 Jaguar XJS. The win also secured the Brays the lead in the classic Australian Targa Championship

The only car which had a realistic chance of reeling in the Whites, the Porsche GT3 of Matt Close and Cameron Reeves, speared off the road half a kilometre into the opening stage of the day south of Hobart.

It meant the Whites could back-off and coast across the remaining stages, a welcome relief for the Viper which had become vulnerable with fading rubber.

Close and Reeves had clutched an outside chance of snatching a surprise victory going into the final six stages before their unfortunate exit put an end to a possible come-from-behind win.

Close, although bitterly disappointed, was proud of the effort his crew put in to challenge White through the week.

“Unfortunately on cold tyres I just asked a bit too much of them,” Close said. “I take the blame. We are proud because we took it up to him (White) and I don’t think he’s had that sort of pressure for a long time.”

Jason White praised the effort Close put in, saying it was the hardest he has had to drive in any previous Targa campaign.

“That’s by far the hardest we have had to drive,” White said. “We were actually having a lot more sweat about what was going on with the tyres. It really forced John and I to be at the top of our game.

“But it wasn’t so good to see Matt go off.

“We’ve had to manage a few issues with the chassis as well as the tyres ourselves through the week. One of the things about this event is managing your head and not panicking.

“A lot of the stages where we took big chunks of time out we were really out of our comfort zone. It was really nice to up the ante and discover a new level.”

Bray was delighted to secure the Classic GT win.

“The weather has been great, the car has been great,” Bray said. “I’ve done it with my brother and family and it’s been a really good week.”

“We have been trying to manage our tyres, We knew there was no rain coming and it’s all worked out well.”

In other Targa Tasmania classes, Graham Copeland and Josh Herbert guided the 1941 GMC Jimmy Special to a comfortable victory in the Shannons Classic Handicap. Copeland was always in charge of the handicap event with almost seven minutes to spare over the 1961 Volvo 122S of Ashley Yelds and Charlie Hughes.

In the Duttons Garage Early Modern category Josh Sutcliffe and Jon Mitchell (2006 Subaru) managed to claim victory after a close week-long fight with the 1995 Nissan Skyline of Liam and Larry Howarth.

The Budget TSD Trophy has seen Darryl and Peter Marshall secure another triumph in their Ford Falcon Pursuit Ute after compiling 55 penalty points, 38 fewer than the Peter and Tristan Taylor Lotus Exige. It is the second successive year the Marshall’s have triumphed in the class.

Jack Waldron and Vin Gregory were big winners in the Spirit of Tasmania Thoroughbred Trophy in their 1981 Mitsubishi Sigma.

Martin Duursma and Richard Wodhams took the spoils in the Country Club GT Sports Trophy in their 2013 Lotus Exige S, two places higher than their result last year.

Justin Gan and David Hart made a one-act affair of the Rookie Classic GT in their 1978 Porsche 911 while in Rookie Early Modern, Adam Gosling and Ian Noble scored a big win in their 2002 BMW E46 M3.

There was no catching Jeff Morton and Steve Fisher in their 2017 Lotus Exige in the Rookie GT standings after scoring by more than 13 minutes.

The third round of the CAMS Australian Targa Championship is the inaugural Targa Graet Barrier Reef to be held in Cairns from August 31 to September 2.

FINAL OVERALL RESULTS 2018 TARGA TASMANIA (Provisional)

1 Jason White/John White 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme

2 Steve Glenney/ Andy Sarandis 2015 Subaru WRX STI +1min05sec

3 Michael Pritchard/Gary Mourant Porsche 911 GT3 RS +2min30sec

4 Paul Stokell/Erin Kelly 2014 Lotus Exige S +3min24sec

5 Angus Kennard/Ian Wheeler 2015 Nissan GT-R R35 +5min00sec

6 John Ireland/Janet Binns 2017 Dodge Viper +7min43sec

7 Alan Roe/Michael Lloyd BMW M2 +9min24sec

8 Craig Dean/Mary Hughes 2015 Ford Mustang +9min26sec

9 Peter Nunn/Keith Johnstone 2016 Porsche GTS +9min32sec

10 Paul Dowie/Bernie Webb Audi TT RS Plus +11min42sec

Wrest Point GT2

1 Jason White/John White 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme

2 Michael Pritchard/Gary Mourant Porsche 911 GT3 RS +2min30sec

3 Paul Stokell/Erin Kelly Lotus Exige S +3min24sec

RDA Brakes GT4

1 Steve Glenney/Andy Sarandis 2015 Subaru WRX STI

2 Angus Kennard/Ian Wheeler 2015 Nissan GT-R R35 +3min55sec

3 Paul Dowie/Bernie Webb 2010 Audi TT Rs +10min37sec

Shannons Classic GT

1 Michael Bray/Daniel Bray 1975 Holden Torana

2 Mark Hammond/Dennis Neagle 1980 Jaguar XJS +8min50sec

3 Stewart McAuley/Philippe Etienne 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera +11min20sec

Shannons Classic (Handicap)

1 Graham Copeland/Josh Herbert 1941 GMC Jimmy Special

2 Ashley Yelds/Charlie Hughes 1961 Volvo 122S +8min27sec

3 David Gilliver/Nigel Shellshear 1979 Ferrari 308 GTB +9min12sec

Duttons Garage Early Modern

1 Joshua Sutcliffe/Jon Mitchell 2006 Subaru S204

2 Liam Howarth/Larry Howarth 1995 Nissan Skyline R33 GTR V-Spec +1min16sec

3 Guy Lilleymn/John Lilleyman, 2006 Mitsubishi Evo IX +1min58sec

Country Club GT Sports Trophy

1 Martin Duursma/Richard Wodhams 2013 Lotus Exige S V6

2 Kristian Downing/Clayton Webber 2011 Subaru WRX STI +3min48sec

3 Peter Pisko/Lance Patullo 2012 Audi TT RS +6min24sec

Spirit of Tasmania Thoroughbred Trophy

1 Jack Waldron/Vin Gregory 1981 Mitsubishi Sigma

2 Geoff Storr/Steve Caplice 1978 Alfa Romeo Alfetta GTV 14:05s +6min00sec

3 Jim Kelly/Evan Kelly 1984 Audi Quattro Coupe +31min08sec

Budget TSD Trophy

1 Darryl Marshall/Peter Marshall 2002 Ford Falcon Pursuit Ute 55 points

2 Peter Taylor/Tristan Taylor 2013 Lotus Elise S 93 points

3 Gerry Beshford/Peter Bell 2004 Mazda MX5 SE 117 points

Rookie Classic GT

1 Justin Gan/David Hart 1978 Porsche 911

2 Gregg Taylor/Callum Taylor 1978 Ford Escort 1800 RS +1hr38min27sec

Rookie Early Modern

1 Adam Gosling/Ian Noble 2002 BMW E46 M3

2 Colin O’Brien/Rhys Llewellyn 2005 Mitsubishi Evo +7min39sec

3 Leigh Ford/Nicholas Browne 2003 Honda Integra Type R +7min42sec

Rookie GT

1 Jeff Morton/Steve Fisher 2017 Lotus Exige

2 Jesse Medwin/Zak Brakey 2011 Subaru STI Spec C +13min56secs

3 Matthew Gibbins/Tim Jurd 2008 Nissan GTR +17min32sec

Keep your eye on the Auto Action website and social media, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for daily updates and make sure you pick up issue 1735 for a full Targa Tasmania roundup.