Inkster/Winn extend lead as Targa rivals stumble

Glenn Inkster and co-driver Spencer Winn further extended their lead as rival pairings stumbled on the second timed day of the 2014 Targa South Island tarmac motor rally in North Otago today.

The Mitsubishi Evo8 pair from Pukekohe had a scare at the end of the first timed day in Dunedin on Tuesday when overheating issues forced an overnight head gasket change.

But the car ran faultlessly today, Inkster and Winn easily winning all seven stages contested.

On Tuesday they were run close by fellow Mitsubishi pair Jason Gill and Mark Robinson and Subaru duo Leigh Hopper and Simon Kirkpatrick.

But a high-speed off in the final stage on Tuesday saw Hopper and Kirkpatrick follow five-time former event champion Tony Quinn and his co-driver Naomi Tillett into retirement before the start of the second leg this morning.

Gill and Robinson, meanwhile, were forced to miss four of the seven stages this morning after blowing an oil pressure sensor on their Evo 9’s motor and having to wait while a replacement was found and fitted.

High-profile Instra.com Modern 2WD classic entrant Clark Proctor and co-driver Sue O’Neill were also in the wars, Proctor rolling his Nissan V6 turbo-engined Escort but getting going again in the first stage of the day over Mt Cargill north of Dunedin, then slipping to 17th in class after gearbox problems in the repeat of the Windsor/Tokarahi and Duntroon/Ngapara morning stages west of Oamaru in the afternoon.

The result was that when the field arrived back in Dunedin Inkster and Winn had extended their overall lead over Instra.com Modern 2WD class leaders Gavin and Amy Riches to almost two-and-a-half minutes and their lead in the Instra.com Allcomers 4WD drive class to over four-and-a-half minutes from fellow former gravel rally front-runner Todd and brother Rhys Bawden from Hamilton in a Mitsubishi Evo 10.

Normal service was also resumed, today, in the Metalman Classic 2WD class with Mark and Chris Kirk-Bernnand coming back from a Leg one start slowed when they threw a fan belt to win their class in three of the seven stages and take over the class lead after day one pace-setter Greg and co-driving son Michael Goudie struck problems with their Escort BDA.

Auckland pair Rob Ryan and Paul Burborough also had a good day in their Toyota AE86, the pair topping the class time sheets in the first two stages and ending the day second to the Kirk-Burnnands just 10 seconds behind with former motorcycle ace Jason Easton and co-driver Campbell Ward just six seconds back in third.

This is Easton’s debut event as a driver after three years’ co-driving for fellow Foxton man Bevan Claridge and so far the former motorcycle racer has been the revelation of the class in his only recently finished 1965 Ford Mustang.

Defending Targa winner Martin Dippie and co-driver Jona Grant also edged forward in the order in their Porsche 911 GT3, claiming their first Instra.co 2WD class stage win in the second stage and ending the day seocnd to the similar but more developed GT3 Porsche of the Riches.

Late in the day the local rescue helicopter was called to an accident in Stage 14. The driver of the car was airlifted to hospital with leg injuries.

All told, just on 200 entrants will contest 807kms over 34 closed special stages linked by 1828km of open road transport stages on this year’s inaugural Targa South Island event which continues with more stages tomorrow this time in and around Dunedin in the morning.

After a service park and lunch at Milton the field then heads south to Invercargill in the afternoon then to Cromwell on Friday before a final day in and around Queenstown on Saturday.

Targa New Zealand events are organised with the support of sponsors Ecolight, Federal motorsport tyres, Global Security, Highlands Motorsport Park, Instra Corporation,  Kids In Cars, Metalman, NZ Classic Car magazine, Race Brakes, TeamTalk, TrackIt, VTNZ. and Woolrest Biomag.

 Instra.com Allcomers 4WD

1. Glenn Inkster/Spencer Winn (2000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8)  01:39:29
2. Todd Bawden/Rhys Bawden (1998 Mitsubishi Evo6) 01:44:08
3. Nicholas De Waal/Guy Hodgson (2002 Subaru Impreza WRX) 01:45:45
4. Harry Dodson/Glenn Cupit (2007 Nissan GT-R35) 01:46:53
5. Andrew  Simms/Chris West (2010 Mitsubishi  Lancer Evo 10) 01:49:07
6. Durham Throp/Angela Clark (2002 Porsche Turbo 4) 01:50:15
7. Jason Gill/Mark  Robinson (2005 Mitsubishi Evo9GT) 01:59:57

 Instra.com Modern 2WD

1. Gavin Riches/Amy Riches (2011 Porsche GT3) 01:42:18
2. Martin Dippie/Jona Grant (2007 Porsche  GT3 RS) 01:47:16
3. Deane Buist/Andrew Bulman (1975 Ford Escort) 01:48:42
4. Robert Darrington/David Abetz (2002 BMW E46) 01:49:23
5. Ross Graham/Kevin Brookes (1977 Holden  Torana) 01:49:50
6. Marcus Van Klink/Dave Neill (2007 Citroen C2 S1600) 01:50:58

 Metalman Classic

1. Mark Kirk-Burnnand/Chris Kirk-Burnnand (1987 BMW M3) 01:51:25
2. Rob Ryan/Paul Burborough (1986 Toyota Corolla AE-86 Levin) 01:51:35
3. Jason Easton/Campbell Ward (1966 Ford Mustang Notchback) 01:51:41
4. Bruce Farley/Tim Eddington (1986 BMW 325i) 01:53:04
5. Barry Kirk-Burnnand/Dave O’Carroll (1989 BMW M3) 01:53:12
6. Bevan Claridge/Campbell Tannock (1992 Holden Commodore) 01:53:24
7. Carl Kirk-Burnnand/Scott Hay (1991 BMW 325i) 01:53:44