Defending champs start 30th anniversary road rally where they left off last year as rivals crash on slippery prologue stage
Defending Targa Tasmania champion Eddie Maguire has staked his claim for a second consecutive victory by posting the fastest time in a dramatic competition Prologue for the 30th anniversary event.
The Burnie native blasted his burly Dodge Viper ACR through two short stages, including one on the slippery streets of picturesque George Town, to end of the day fastest, ahead of Jeff Morton in a Porsche 911 GT2 RS and Angus Kennard in a Nissan GT-R.
Maguire’s chief rival, seven-times Targa winner Jason White, was forced to repair his similar Dodge Viper ACR when he slid on an oil patch and hit the kerb, causing heavy damage.
“It was incredibly slippery,” Maguire said.
“We had a big moment where the Whites went off and hit the kerb but we were lucky enough not to collect the gutter.
“We are a bit devastated because we were looking forward to racing properly and I really feel for the Whites.”
carsales Editor-in-Chief Mike Sinclair opened his eighth attempt at Targa Tasmania in equal 10th fastest in the GT Production competition.
This was despite some brake teething issues with the Dutton One Subaru WRX STi which saw him overshoot a corner in the George Town street stage.
“We’ve got some work to do overnight to sort these brand-new cars a little more, but we’ve had a decent start and the car certainly has the speed to be competitive,” Sinclair said.
“Targa is a long event. We’ve got five big days of competition to go – and the weather looks like it might turn, which could actually suit us with the all-wheel drive traction of the WRX.”
Sinclair’s Duttons teammate and TV personality Grant Denyer was three seconds quicker and finished the opening stage as equal eighth fastest.
Jon Giddins blitzed the George Town stage in his Datsun 240Z to claim bragging rights in the popular GT Classic class by eight seconds, with Peter Gluskie on top of the Classic Handicap section and Mathew Carey fastest by 17sec in the Thoroughbred Trophy with his 1979 Holden Commodore.
Wednesday sees the TT30 field of more than 485 cars compete and tour six stages to the north-west of Launceston.
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Keyword: TARGA: Targa: Maguire heads TT30 after dramatic opener