Front Bum Racing 360 Challenge all ready for Targa Tasmania

maybe he thought Morootttiiee was his long lost brother whom had him to his sister.

 

did Waz try to throw a VB out the sunroof?
how is Ash going?

 

Eight-time Targa Tasmania winner, Jim Richards, once again looks like the man to beat in the Modern car section of the tarmac rally after setting the pace in the official Prologue, held around the streets of George Town on the north coast of Tasmania.

Victorian Gary Tierney was the quickest in the Classic category in his 1974 Porsche 911 RS, while reigning Bathurst 12-Hour winner, Rod Salmon, was the fastest of the Showroom class field in his Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 10.

Driving a Porsche 911 GT2, Richards was 1.35 seconds faster than another Porsche, driven by Victorian Matt Close, over the twisting 4.5 kilometre street stage. The veteran is hoping for a dry event to give him the best possible chance of taking a ninth win, and the weather gods are looking on his side at this stage.

Local favourite, Burnie’s Jason White, in a Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera, was third, ahead of the similar car of Kevin Weeks and the Nissan GTR of West Australian Steve Jones.

Thousands of spectators lined the route of the stage, which got the 18th running of the tarmac classic started under cool, but clear blue skies.

More than 250 cars started the event, but for 2008 Targa winner, Steve Glenney, it was not the start he had hoped for. His brand new Mazda RX8 SP lost turbo pressure during the stage, and he finished a disappointing 50th. However, the Mazda mechanics will repair the car, ensuring he will start tomorrow’s nine stages still in with a chance of repeating his victory.

“We had a few niggling problems associated with a new car. We lost turbo boost on the second corner of the stage, which was disappointing, but these things happen and we’ll bounce back," a confident Glenney said.

Richards was happy with the result, but well ahead of the challenge ahead.

“Things went as good as it could on Prologue day,” Richards said. “Our time was quicker than last year on this stage, but the car was only three weeks old last year. We’ve changed the suspension and put different springs in it since then.

“But today’s stage means nothing really. We’ll always be competitive if it’s dry, but if it’s damp, slippery and wet we won’t be.”

The winner of the Classics for the past two years, Rex Broadbent, was forced to miss today’s Prologue after falling ill overnight. The Porsche driver will be allowed to start the event tomorrow morning.

His absence allowed Gary Tierney to take a 1.15 second stage win over the 1977 Holden Torana A9X of local Launceston driver David Cooper. Gavin James was less than half a second further back in third place, at the wheel of a Porsche 944 S2.

Another pre-event favourite, Bill Pye, lies in fifth place after a steady run in his Porsche.

“We’re very happy,” said Tierney. “It’s the same car as we ran last year and it appears we’re about 11 seconds faster, which is good.

“We have built a new engine in the last 12 months, and obviously that’s helped. We’re looking forward to the rest of the week, and we may even get lucky and have nice weather. While our car is nice in the wet, the driver is better in the dry.”

Sydney’s Rod Salmon is less than two seconds clear of a pair of front-wheel drive Mazda 3 MPSs, driven by young 20-year old Brendan Reeves, and veteran Rick Bates.

The dry conditions will suit the little Mazdas, and the four-wheel drive, turbocharged cars will need to be driven to the limit if they are to stay ahead.


See our old friends the Ullrichs are out in their CV8 again. Any Sari pics appreciated.

Anyone know what that snot green thing Andy Meideke is driving is all about? '07 Daytona Coupe

 

Andy is in a Daytona replicar with a all alloy chev.

 

Is that one of the Motec guy's cars?
Same as P Brock's last drive?

 

yep.

 

Yep.

Sounds like you're having fun Moretts, lucky though not to get injured with the sunroof breaking. Pretty good to be able to get it repaired so quickly.

See if you can convince Waz to leave the dark side and buy a Ferrari.

 

Waz is to smart for that.

 

oh no he isn't

 

you and Ash drinking again?

 

ok i thought he was crewing on ya car

 

What happened with TS2, Leg 1,?
Was it canceled?
Goes TS1 - TS3.

 

Sometimes its a bit slow to come through. I don't think anything is official until the end of the day.

http://www.rallyresults.com.au/targa/TT2009/showStaget.asp?paramVal4=1&paramVal3=1&paramVal1=2&rVal=3784&paramVal2=2

 

5 retirements already! That'd be pretty disappointing.
Dropping out on the first morning would really depress you.

4:45pm - Car 960, the Lancer Evo X of Rod Salmon and Samantha Stevens, have had a big accident on TS9, Quamby Brook. Their car has hit a tree, and they have retired from the today. Both crew members are okay.

 

5! Wow!

Glad to hear neither was injured.

 

Gees I wish they would bring the results up to date quicker. At TS7 Goober and Co were just outside of the top 10. Not showing up in TS8&9. They're doing really well ATM considering what they are up against.

 

what top 10 overall?

 

In Early Modern. They're actually up to 7th in Class from my calculations.

 

well done

 

Don't want to do a Mark Skaife to them so I'll limit my comments, but, yeah they're doing good.

From what I've heard Day 5 is the hardest. Evidentally a large percentage of the distance is travelled on that day and those stages suit Ferraris.

 

Still showing 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 as running. Do they run after dark? Didn't think so.
Early stage times still not up either. I see results from 4 to 7.

 

Just for those who may not know, and may be interested, TT is split up into 9 Categories, eg. Modern, Early Modern, Late Classic, Early Classic, Showroom etc etc.

Now within each category you have classes, so for example if you look at Goobers Catagory (Early Modern) you will note next to their names an alphanumeric code 8S2C. This is to classify as close as possible cars that are expected to complete the stages in similar times. The first number is the category, the proceeding numbers/letters are classifying the cars. Someone who has competed can probably expand on this.

Hope that is of some use to those who are tracking progress and interested if you have friends competing.

 

Guy up the road is running his RS 993.
Friend from 35 years ago Gavin James is running
Gee go through the list I know many of 'em.

 

Just saw Goobs video. He almost swears as much as me!