Inkster And Winn Back in Targa NZ Lead on Second Day   15 Oct 2016

2016 Targa New Zealand
Taupo-Havelock North
Thurs-Sun
October 13-16
2016

DAY 2 REPORT

14-10-16

Inkster And Winn Back in Targa NZ Lead on Second Day of 2016 Event

Two-time and defending event winners Glenn Inkster and Spencer Winn (Mitsubishi Evo 8) were back in the lead of this year's Targa NZ tarmac motor rally this evening after winning all six stages on the second day of competition between Ohakune and Palmerston North today.

As they entered parc ferme for the night in the city's Square the Patumahoe/Howick pair had a lead of just over a minute over Leg 1 pace-setter Chris West and co-driver Chris Cobham (Mitsubishi Mirage Evo) from Auckland with five-time event winner Tony Quinn and his co-driver Naomi Tillett (Nissan GT-R35) a further two-and-a-half minutes back in third.

Inkster and Winn were slowed by an electronic issue yesterday but were well and truly back in the groove today.

"We seem to have found the solution to the problem we had yesterday, "Inkster said at the lunchtime service today. 'We also changed tyres to see if we could get rid of the understeer we seemed to be suffering from yesterday as well."

West and Cobham remained within striking distance and are now in a pitched battle for second through fifth places with Quinn and Tillett, Targa Rotorua event winners Leigh Hopper and Michael Goudie (Subaru WRX STi) and Global Security Modern 2WD class leaders, Martin Dippie and Jona Grant (Porsche GT3 RS).

Heading into Leg 3 to Taihape then over the Gentle Annie tomorrow only four minutes separates West and Cobham and Dippie and Grant with 185km over a further six special stages before the first of two nights in Havelock North.

Tarmac rally novice Regan Ross and co-driver Shaun Howie from Kaikoura continued their remarkable run in the Metalman Classic class in a Ford Escort RS1800 on the second day of the event, though this time the pair only won their class in three of the six stages.

"I'm just loving it," Ross said in Ohakune this morning. "The car's like a Go Kart on the tarmac."

The other stage wins were split three ways in the Metalman Classic class with Palmerston North driver Rob Ryan and Auckland co-driver Paul Burborough fastest in Stage 12 in their Toyota Corolla AE86, Donald Webster and John Mulrennan topping the class time sheets in Stage 13 in Webster's exotic Renault Alpine and former class winner son and father combination of Mark and Chris Kirk-Burnnand from Wellington taking the class win on the final stage of the day, Stage 14.

Martin Dippie and Jona Grant continued to dominate the Global Security Modern 2WD class in Dippie's new Porsche GT3 RS but the Dunedin pair's perfect run was broken in the second last stage of the day by Christchurch driver Marcus Van Klink and his co-driver Matt Hayward in Van Klink's newly-built Mazda RX8.

Dippie and Grant are still enjoy an overall class lead of over five minutes from one of the other Kirk-Burnnand in the field, Mark's Auckland-based cousin Steven and his co-driver Mick Hay (BMW 318ti Compact. however, with Perth-based Kiwi expat Rob Darrington and his co-driver David Abetz third in their BMW M3 a further two minutes back.

Tomorrow (Saturday's) Leg three of the 2016 event from Palmerston North via the Gentle Annie road to Havelock North, before Sunday's final leg in and around Hawke's Bay, complete with ceremonial finish back in Havelock North and prize giving that evening at the Hawke's Bay Opera House in Hastings.

For the final two days the main competition and tour fields will also be joined by 10 extra pairings contesting the Targa Regional Rally competition and Regional Tour.

Targa New Zealand events are organised with the support of sponsors AndrewSimms.co.nz, Chicane Racewear, Ecolight, Global Security, Kids In Cars, Metalman.co.nz, NZ Classic Car magazine, Race Brakes, Racetech, TeamTalk, TrackIt and VTNZ.

For more information go to www.targa.co.nz.

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