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Targa West rallies look healthy for another two years

Sponsorship is imperative for the health and longevity of tarmac rallying; Targa West Events is delighted to announce Healthway, and the Make Smoking History message, continue as major sponsor of both Targa West and Targa South West for the next two years.
 
Targa West Director Ross Tapper said that Healthway has partnered with Targa West for 19 years. 

Mr Ross Tapper OAM, Clerk of the Course. Photo: Dianne Bortoletto
 
“We pride ourselves on building quality and lasting relationships with our sponsors and we couldn’t be happier that our partnership with Healthway as naming rights sponsor will continue until at least the end of 2023,” Mr Tapper said.
 
“To be successful in rallying and all motorsport, a healthy lifestyle along with fitness and endurance is what’s needed, so it’s important to get the Make Smoking History message across.
 
“It’s thanks to the support of Healthway and other sponsors that the sport of rallying in Western Australia has a long history and a varied portfolio of events.”
 

Simon Gunson Photo: CMR Photographic

Healthway is a state government agency that promotes and facilitates good health and activities which encourages healthy lifestyles.
 
Healthway CEO Ralph Addis said that Healthway, through Make Smoking History, is proud to support Targa West.
 
“Tobacco smoking is the single largest preventable cause of premature death and disease in Australia and Targa West Events is an appropriate vehicle to spread the Make Smoking History message to a wide audience,” Mr Addis said.
 
“Through our partnership, not only can we keep racing events smoke-free and provide people with support to help them quit, but also increase the availability of healthy food and drinks.”
 
Perth’s longest and most demanding tarmac rally is Make Smoking History Targa West. Run over four days in Perth and the surrounding areas, it is the State’s premium tarmac rally attracting the best cars and drivers from WA and Australia. 
 
Healthway is also silver sponsors of the GT Fabrication Bunbury Sprint, Auto One Targa Albany Sprint and the Shannons Targa Rallysprint series comprising of five events which are held at Perth Motorplex on Thursday evenings.
 
The 2022 Targa season starts with Make Smoking History Targa South West, a one-day rally on closed roads through the picturesque areas of Manjimup and Pemberton on 11 June.  
 
“Make Smoking History Targa South West suits all levels of motorsport experience – from the rookie competing in their first event to the serious competitor with a purpose-built tarmac rally car,” Mr Tapper said.

Ceremonial Start in Forrest Place. Photo: CMR Photographic

“We have a few electric cars competing too and we’d love to see this category grow – it’s a great opportunity for a spirited drive, for drivers to put their cars through their paces in a safe way. 
 
“Best of all, there’s a fantastic camaraderie between all competitors and officials which is one of the characteristics of rallying as sport,” Mr Tapper said. 
 
The 2022 Targa West Rally Calendar
 

Make Smoking History Targa Cup Annual Series
Make Smoking History Targa South West  11 June
Make Smoking History Targa West 8 – 11 September
The Engine Shop Targa City Sprint 11 Sep 2022
GT Fabrication Targa Bunbury Sprint 12 – 13 Nov 2022
Auto One Targa Albany Sprint  5 – 6 March 2023

 
 
Shannons Rallysprint at Perth Motorplex
Five events held on Thursdays once per month from November to March

To be kept up to date with Targa West events, please see www.targawest.com.au and like www.facebook.com/targawest
 
For assistance on quitting smoking, please see www.quitnow.gov.au.

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Jones and Gunson dominant at Make Smoking History Targa South West

In blistering heat, the 12th Make Smoking History Targa South West was dominated in all classes on Saturday as 40 competitors raced the clock along 117 competitive kilometres in Western Australia’s Southern Forest region. 
 
Steve Jones and Caleb Ash in the Modern category, Simon Gunson and Murray Armenti in the Classics and Matt St Guillaume and James Brittain in the Targa 165 all finished fastest in their categories. 
 
In temperatures in the mid 30s and high humidity, the heat tested both men and machines along 15 stages in and around Pemberton and Northcliffe. 
 
Iced towels were given to competitors to help cool them down between stages.
Cates / Webb. Photo: Image165

Competition Modern

 
In a 2018 Nissan GTR Nismo borrowed from David Heaton, Steve Jones and Caleb Ash lead from the start of the tarmac rally, winning the first seven stages to finish 46 seconds ahead of their nearest rival. Mark Cates and Bernie Webb in their 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS pushed hard to snatch second place in the last stage by the narrowest of margins. Taking his first podium finish in third place just one second behind was Heuson Bak and Roger Tan in their 2017 Lotus Exige.
 
David Heaton with specialist co-driver and driving coach Steve Glenney won four stages in Heaton’s new 2018 Porsche GT2 RS yet finished in last place due to a slight mechanic issue that prevented them from starting SS2. Cates with new co-driver Webb, also a specialist co-driver and driving coach, pushed hard to win the last three stages which were in Pemberton’s town centre, stealing the second podium step by one second. 
 
This was the first time Jones has competed in Make Smoking History Targa South West. He’s not been behind the wheel of a rally car for many years, taking a break to raise his daughter, but the seasoned racer is a four-time winner of Western Australia’s premier tarmac rally, Make Smoking History Targa West, which will be held in September this year.  
 
Jones said his strategy was to start fast and build a lead.
 
“That was our game plan all along, we wanted to build a gap early on and then we wouldn’t have to push later in the day and could preserve the car, after all, it’s not my car,” said Jones of Attadale, who is David Heaton’s race mechanic.
 
“Dave’s car is amazing, up there with the best rally cars in the country – I built that car from scratch, so it’s like my baby too.
 
“It’s a very capable car and even when I backed off, it’s still seriously quick, and it’s comfortable, we had the aircon on and the music pumping before the start of the stages.
 
“The roads are amazing, we’re so lucky to be able to use them.
 
“It was a really fun weekend, I had a ball and I’m really happy with the result and grateful to Dave for letting me drive his car, it’s been years since I’ve competed,” said the 36-year-old who last won Targa West in 2014 in a Mitsubishi Evo.
 
Cates said a bad start meant he had to fight hard all day.
 
“We had to fight back like crazy because we lost about 14 seconds blowing a corner on the first run, and it rattled me and we spent time the rest of the rally fighting back,” said Cates of Bunbury. 
 
“The competition was intense and credit to Heuson Bak, Steve Jones and David Heaton who were all outstanding.
 
“My new co-driver Bernie Webb was great, full of driving tips and we’re trying a whole new method of driving which is starting to pay dividends.”
 
Third place finisher Heuson Bak, 34 of Mount Pleasant, posted some impressive times, sitting in second place overall for much of the rally.
 
“It was really good fun, it was my first podium and it was a good fight all day, I just got edged out by one second on the last run,” said Bak, who started rallying four years ago.
 
“The Lotus is fantastic, we’re slowly setting it up, fine tuning the suspension – we had a good run in Albany and finished first in class.”
 
Bak said that he really enjoys the sport for the sense of camaraderie and the supportive rally community. 
 
The only Electric Vehicle (EV) in the field was husband and wife team Jurgen and Helen Lunsmann in their 2019 Telsa 3 Performance+, posted some impressive stage times early in the rally, and were sitting in second place overall ahead of the long Pemberton to Northcliffe stages. They finished in fifth outright, showing that the EV is an outright competitive car. 
 
2020 Make Smoking History Targa West competition modern winners Mark Greenham and Stephanie Esterbauer suffered a gearbox issue in the fifth stage, ending their rally. 
 
Overall Modern
Pos No Crew Vehicle Total
Gap 1st 
1 23 JONES
ASH		 Nissan
GTR Nismo		 48:01
+
2 69 CATES
WEBB		 Porsche
911 GT3 RS		 48:47
+00:46
3 68 BAK
TAN		 Lotus
Exige		 48:48
+00:47
4 34 WHITE
THOMPSON		 Mitsubishi
Lancer Evo 9		 49:16
+01:15
5 24 LUNSMANN
LUNSMANN		 Tesla
3 Performance+		 50:05
+02:04
Bak / Tan. Photo: David Turk PixelCulture.com
Gunson / Armenti. Photo: Tim Allott

Competition Classic

 
In the Classics, Simon Gunson and Murray Armenti won 12 stages in their 1971 Ford Capri to win their class convincingly ahead of last year’s winners Tim Wolfe and Scott Beckwith in their 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS. Rounding out the top three in their 1973 Datsun 240Z was husband and wife team Simon and Sussanah Lingford, who, back in 2000, were the fastest privateer in the London to Sydney Marathon in the same car. 
 
“We went to have a good weekend away, and that’s what we did! I got Murray back in the car, and it was good to share the day with a good mate,” said Gunson of Bibra Lake.
 
“It was a casual day for us, the car ran faultlessly, we had a ball.
 
“The roads were very good – the Capri likes the fast-flowing stages so the Pemberton to Northcliffe stage was great for us.
 
“The rally was well organised, and it all went to plan –the lunch stop at Northcliffe was very good with all the volunteers.”
 
 
Overall Classic
Pos No Crew Vehicle Total
Gap 1st 
1 16 GUNSON
ARMENTI		 Ford
Capri Perana		 49:43
+
2 37 WOLFE
BECKWITH		 Porsche
911 Carrera RS		 52:00
+02:17
3 78 LINGFORD
LINGFORD		 Datsun
240Z		 52:58
+03:15
4 41 ELLEMENT
ELLEMENT		 Chevrolet
Corvette C4		 53:24
+03:41
5 65 STEWART
ZANOTTI		 Ford
Mustang GT350		 53:59
+04:16
 
St Guillaume / Brittain. Photo: Tim Allott

Targa 165 

 
Taking the top step in the Targa 165 category which has a restricted speed of 165 kilometres per hour were rookies Mat St Guillaume and James Brittain in their 2006 Porsche Cayman. 
 
“We are very happy, it was heaps of fun, and huge thanks to the towns of Pemberton and Northcliffe and all the volunteers for making us feel very welcome,” said 41-year-old St Guillaume.
 
“The Targa South West roads are amazing and it’s so good that we can enjoy driving fast in a safe and controlled environment.  
 
“It was the first event for my co-driver James too, and he only read notes on Friday.
 
“We had a ball, the whole KTEC crew were fantastic. I’d highly recommend rallying to anyone who loves driving”
 
Floreat resident St Guillaume said that he started rallying in November last year, entering the short rallysprints events held at Kwinana Raceway.
 
“We are working our way up to Targa Tasmania, which is on our bucket list, so entered Targa South West and we’ll do Targa West later in the year.”
 
In second place, 44 seconds behind was Ben Pang and Brandon Chin in their 1999 Honda Civic, and Dale Smulders and Scott Wallace in their 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 7 finished third.
 
 
Overall Targa 165
Pos  No  Crew  Vehicle Total
Gap 1st 
1 98 ST GUILLAUME**
BRITTAIN**		 Porsche
Cayman		 54:39
+
2 38 PANG
CHIN		 Honda
Civic		 55:23
+00:44
3 14 SMULDERS
WALLACE		 Mitsubishi
Lancer Evo 7 		 56:10
+01:31
 
Jurgen and Helen Lunsmann in the Tesla 3 Performance+ EV. Photo: David Turk PixelCulture.com
Heaton / Glenney. Photo: David Turk PixelCulture.com
In 30-second intervals, competitors raced against the clock and the cumulative fastest time over all stages was crowned the winner. The first stage did not form part of the results.
 
Organisers would like to thank Targa South West sponsors Healthway, along with the Make Smoking History message, Shannons, Manjimup Truffles, Perrella Steel Fabrication, Civitest and the Shire of Manjimup for their support. 
 
CLICK HERE  for results. 
 
Next:
Make Smoking History Targa West will be held in Perth, Ellenbrook, Kalamunda, Toodyay, Chittering, Bullsbrook, Malaga from 16 to 19 September 2021.
Wolfe / Beckwith.  Photo: David Turk PixelCulture.com
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Make Smoking History Targa South West ready to roar into Pemberton

The 12th Make Smoking History Targa South West is ready to roar into the Southern Forests region of Western Australia on Saturday 20th March with a strong field of 40 competitors.
 
Competitors will travel a total of 242 kilometres which includes 117 kilometres of flat-out competition on 15 closed-road Special Stages that each range in distance from 2.9 kilometres to 15.48 kilometres in and around Pemberton and Northcliffe, about 3.5 hours south of Perth. 
 
Clerk of Course Ross Tapper OAM said that last year, due to the pandemic, the Make Smoking History Targa South West was compacted into a one-day event, and was so popular with competitors, crew and officials that the one-day format has remained. 
 
“The condensed format last year made for a long day but it seemed to suit competitors and crews as well as officials,” Tapper said. 
 
“The Pemberton to Northcliffe stage is fast and flowing and held on the scenic roads through the Karri forest, and the town stage in Pemberton will be tight and technical.
 
Make Smoking History Targa South West will attract approximately 400 people into Pemberton.
 
“It’s always a great weekend in the Southern Forests, the camaraderie and sense of community of a group of car enthusiasts sharing a common experience of a spirited drive in a picturesque part of the State,” Tapper said. 
 
After finishing Make Smoking History Targa South West in second place last year, and a class fourth place at Targa High Country in last month, Axis Hire managing director Mark Cates will be pushing hard in his 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS to take his maiden victory.
 
“There’ll be some hot competition with Mark Greenham, David Heaton in a new Porsche and Steve Jones who’s driving one of Heaton’s cars – you know what they say, it always goes faster when it’s not your car,” quipped Cates of Bunbury. 
 

Mark Cates / Declan Stafford Photo: CMR Photographic


“I have a new co-driver Bernie Webb who’s been helping me and I’m enjoying the drive, I’ve slowed down a little bit and got more technical. 
 
“My strategy will be to drive fast and don’t crash – straight after Targa South West we’re doing a quick service on the car and putting it on a trailer and driving to Adelaide for the rally there, and then onto Targa Tasmania.
 
“I’m looking forward to the privilege of driving fast on closed country roads that Sir Ross Tapper and the knights of the round table have put together.”
 
After a disappointing DNF last year, Mark Greenham and co-driver Steph Esterbauer in their Race Torque Engineering 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 will be looking to repeat their success of 2019 and 2018 where they took the top step. 
 
Calling the notes for David Heaton in his 2018 Porsche GT2 RS is one of Australia’s best co-drivers and driver coaches, Steve Glenney.
 
Heaton said that he engages Glenney once or twice a year.
 
“Steve will help with the car set up and adjustments after the stages which takes seconds off our time, as well as coaching and he encourages me to take corners at speeds I probably wouldn’t do on my own,” Heaton said.
 
“I’ve not done any competitive kilometres in this car – it’s been sitting in the garage collecting dust, so I thought I’d get it out for Targa South West.
 
“I’m looking forward to it and will use the event as a test to get the car set up correctly for Targa West later in the year.”
 
Steve Jones with co-driver Caleb Ash will be driving a car leased from David Heaton, a 2018 Nissan GTR Nismo.
 
Will White, 2017 winner and fourth place finisher last year, will be fighting for a podium place in his Dardanup Removals / Store Local 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 with co-driver Matt Thompson.
 
Local truffle farmer Al Blakers and co-driver Wayne Deighton are set to compete in their Manjimup Truffles 2008 Holden HSV. 
 

Al Blakers & Wayne Deighton Photo: Drift Images


There are four categories of competition at the Make Smoking History Targa South West: Competition Modern and Competition Classic, Targa 130 (speed limit of 130 kilometres per hour) and Targa 165 (speed limit of 165 kilometres per hour). 
 
In the Competition Classic, last year’s winner Tim Wolfe and co-driver Scott Beckwith in their 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS will need a flawless run if they are to finish ahead of four-time Targa West winner Simon Gunson in his 1971 Ford Capri Perana, this time with Murray Armenti as co-driver. 
 

Tim Wolfe / Scott Beckwith Photo: Tim Allott


Cars will start at 30-second intervals and race against the clock with the winner being the car that is fastest over all stages. 
 
Spectators can watch the rally action from the designated spectator areas – click here for more information and visit ww.targasouthwest.com.au for results. 
 
Organisers would like to thank Targa South West sponsors Healthway, along with the Make Smoking History message, Shannons, Manjimup Truffles, Perrella Steel Fabrication, Civitest and the Shire of Manjimup for their support, along with series sponsors Go Gear. 

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Rullo takes Modern and Wolfe takes Classic at 2020 Make Smoking History Targa South West

In near perfect conditions in front of thousands of spectators, the condensed one-day Make Smoking History Targa South West held yesterday (8th August 2020) in and around Pemberton and Northcliffe in Western Australia’s south west was hailed a success by competitors, officials and spectators alike.
 
Due to the coronavirus, organisers compacted the usual two-day rally into one challenging day for the event’s 11th edition.
 
Other than 3.21-kilometre Stage 11 Pump Hill 3 being cancelled to make up for some lost time, Targa 130 rookies in car 39 overshooting a corner and going for a spin before being wedged on a dirt bank (only to miss a couple of stages and finish the event), and car 68 waking up some spectators when they ran wide on a corner, the rally was run without incident.
 
Competition Modern
 
Taking the win in the Competition Modern category was Peter Rullo and co-driver Jimmy Marquet in their upgraded Land Surveys / Autostrada 2019 Lotus Exige Targa GT Spec, winning five of the 14 stages and finishing 10 seconds ahead of Mark Cates and Declan Stafford in their Axis Hire 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. Finishing third 1:02 minutes behind Cates / Stafford was Dennis Heller and Keian Guy in their 2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9.
 
Rullo, clearly elated with taking the win, said he loved getting back behind the wheel at the Make Smoking History Targa South West.
 
“It was awesome to be competing again, doing what we enjoy,” said Rullo of Gooseberry Hill.
 
“The rally was good right from the start, and truth be told, I had a happy-nervous feeling jumping into the car after a long break and nothing was coming naturally to start with.
 
“The car was quick straight off the mark and by the third stage, everyone was getting into the groove. Some of the stages where I thought our car would have had an advantage, it was really close.
 
“Unfortunately for Mark Greenham he had to withdraw, but that gave us some breathing room.
 
“The stages were good and the event was really fun. The one-day format is a great idea, good for everyone, spectators and officials.”
 
Winner of the last two years, Mark Greenham and co-driver Steph Esterbauer had been finishing stages in the top three and challenging Rullo for the lead up until SS10 when they suffered mechanical problems that ended their rally.
 
With Greenham out, Cates was hot on Rullo’s heels looking to take the lead but couldn’t quite get there.
 
Cates said that his new Axis Hire 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS was nothing short of perfect.
 
“We gave it a fair stab and I’m pretty happy with our results. Everything came together and I didn’t have any ‘moments’ the whole day,” said the Bunbury resident.
 
“It was a good field of competitors and the stages were fun, especially Gloucester which was fast and furious, and challenging us more than we expected. It was a wonderfully run event, a testament to the dedication to Ross, Jan, David and their team of officials – without them there would be no rallies in WA.”
 
Both Rullo and Cates are set to compete in Make Smoking History Targa West held in Perth, Whiteman Park, Ellenbrook, Kalamunda (including the infamous Zig Zag), Parkerville, Toodyay, Chittering and Bullsbrook and Malaga prior to the finalé at the City of Perth Special Stage from 22nd to 25th October 2020.
 

Overall Competition Modern
Pos Crew Vehicle Total
Gap 1st 
1 RULLO
MARQUET		 Lotus
Exige Targa GT		 48:33
+
2 CATES
STAFFORD		 Porsche
911 GT3 RS		 48:43
+00:10
3 HELLER
GUY		 Mitsubishi
Lancer Evo 9		 49:45
+01:12
Peter Rullo / Jimmy Marquet. Photo: Tim Allott
Mark Cates / Declan Stafford. Photo: Drift Images
Competition Classic

In the Competition Classic category for cars manufactured pre-1986, last year’s winner Tim Wolfe and new co-driver, Scott Beckwith made it two years in a row in his Dieselcraft 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS.
 
Wolfe, who has competed in seven Targa South West events, said that he had a fairly smooth run.
 
“The car didn’t miss a beat, I made a few mistakes, but no big ones,” said Wolfe from Kalamunda.
 
“Ktec did a great job and arranged a testing session in Collie to set up the car for the dry conditions, and it paid off.
 
“It also paid off to have Scott next to me, with his WRC rally experience he assisted me well beyond reading notes. He’s so experienced and gave great advice on where to position the car and lots of other tips that helped us do well on the day.
 
“We had a strategy, knowing it was dry, and knowing there some good competition in the Classics this year, we knew that we’d have go hard early to get runs on the board, which we did, then we had to do well on longer stages. If we were in a good position on the other side of Northcliffe (SS9), if we had a buffer, we could maintain our lead if we didn’t make any mistakes.
 
“Everyone was so glad to be back racing again. We celebrated long into the night and did our bit to provide a boost to local economy.”
 
Overall Competition Classic
Pos Crew Vehicle Total
Gap 1st 
1 WOLFE
BECKWITH		 Porsche
911 Carrera RS		 53:03
+
2 DAVIES
MILLS		 Porsche
911RS		 53:44
+00:41
3 LAKE
HALL		 Datsun
240Z		 54:46
+01:43
 
Tim Wolfe / Scott Beckwith. Photo: Ash Westwood
Jurgen and Helen Lunsmann. Photo: CMR Photographic
Targa 130
 
The Targa 130 category restricts competitors to a maximum speed of 130 kilometres per hour. Winning convincingly was husband and wife duo, Jurgen and Helen Lunsmann in their Gemtek Group 2019 Tesla 3 Performance, a stock standard car that has only had seats replaced and a head-restraint harness fitted.
 
The only electric vehicle in the field took a clean sweep to win every stage and finished 4:40 minutes ahead of Gareth Evans and co-driver Mark Stutt in their 1st Call Automotive 2001 Mitsubishi Lancer 7 who ended up in second place by the narrowest of margins. Just one second behind them to round out the top three was Ben Pang and Brandon Chin in their KYP Performance House 1999 Honda Civic.
 
Jurgen Lunnsman, who drove his rally car back to Perth stopping to recharge in Eaton, said that the Tesla Model 3 is a pleasure to be in all day.
 
“The Model 3 is outright competitive with all the of the fields, but we can’t yet charge quick enough to be competitive outright. It handles beautifully and we’re turning enough heads to make it good for the event and EVs in general,” said Lunsmann of Bayswater.
 
“Ross, Jan, David and the Targa South West team have put together an awesome event especially given what was ahead of it with COVID.  
 
“The shorter busier stages were fun, and it was a challenge to maintain the 130-kilometre speed on the long stages. The roads in the south west are magnificent for Targa events,” said the winner of every stage of the event.
 
Lunsmann said that the journey had been really interesting with the EVs.
 
“EVs are far more accepted by competitors and the public, and we’re beginning to feel just like one of the crews racing – we’re enjoying the fact that EVs are normalised and no longer a novelty. Hopefully our win can continue that transformation,” he said.
 
“Don’t get me wrong, we haven’t lost the love of the classics or the sounds of a V8, but our message is to go shopping in an EV and go racing in a car that you love.”
 
 
Overall Targa 130
Pos No Crew Vehicle Total
Gap 1st 
1 24 LUNSMANN
LUNSMANN		 Tesla
3 Performance+		 1:00:17
+
2 14 EVANS
STUTT		 Mitsubishi
Lancer Evo 7		 1:04:40
+04:23
3 38 PANG
CHIN		 Honda
Civic		 1:04:41
+04:24
 
Andy van Kann / Megan Logue. Photo: Drift Images
Targa 165
 
There were just two competitors in the Targa 165 category, which restricts competitors to a maximum speed of 165 kilometres per hour.
 
Andy van Kann, a rally veteran and mentor to many drivers and co-drivers in the rally community, took title honours with co-driver Megan Logue in his classic 1974 Toyota Corolla TE27.
 
Van Kann, who had surgery for cancer just 60 days earlier, said that Targa South West is an event he will cherish forever.
 
“I didn’t really know if I would be well enough to start, let alone finish, let alone win Targa 165,” said van Kann.
 
“Add to that the honour of having Megan calling notes for me. We loved the one day, compressed format. It was intense rallying.
 
“A brilliant job by Rosco, Jan and David under the cloud of COVID,” said van Kann of Dunsborough.
 
Overall Targa 165
Pos No Crew Vehicle Total
Gap 1st 
1 92 VAN KANN
LOGUE		 Toyota
Corolla TE27		 1:00:13
+
2 61 HUGHES
PEDERSEN		 Daihatsu
Charade		 1:04:57
+04:44
 
 

Feature Image – Competition Modern winners Peter Rullo / Jimmy Marquet, 2019 Lotus Exige Targa GT.  Photo: CMR Photographic

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Impressive field to battle one long day at Make Smoking History Targa South West

In an impressive field of 50 cars that includes five rookies and six electric vehicles, Western Australian tarmac rally drivers are relishing the opportunity to race the clock at the 11th Make Smoking History Targa South West on Saturday 8th August in the spectacular Southern Forests region.
 
Competitors will travel a total of 249 kilometres which includes 122 kilometres of flat out competition on 17 closed-road Special Stages that each range in distance from 2.9 kilometres to 15.19 kilometres in and around Pemberton and Northcliffe.
 
Clerk of Course Ross Tapper said that the usual two-day event was compacted to one day initially for COVID-19 reasons.
 
“Even though the event has been condensed into one day, it’s going to be a big day with almost the same amount of competition distance as previous years,” Tapper said.
 
“The Pemberton to Northcliffe stage is fast and flowing and held on the scenic roads through the Karri forest, and the town stage in Pemberton will be tight and technical.”
 

Mark Greenham / Steph Esterbauer. Photo: Tim Allott

A favourite to take the top step of the Competition Modern class is Mark Greenham with co-driver Steph Esterbauer in their Race Torque Engineering 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9. Greenham is defending his 2019 and 2018 title ahead of a potential hat trick, all going to plan.
 
“Targa South West has historically been a very successful event us and we hope to repeat the win again this year,” Greenham said.
 
“We’re just extremely grateful for the opportunity to compete in motorsport here in the West given the COVID-19 challenges faced by our Eastern cousins at the moment.”
 
You can bet that Axis Hire managing director Mark Cates with co-driver Declan Stafford in their 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS will be hot on the heels of Greenham.

Mark Cates / Declan Stafford. Photo: Tom Allott

“It’s an exciting prospect to be able to get back behind the wheel again – we can’t wait for Targa South West,” said Cates of Bunbury, who finished third last year.
 
“We’ve done testing on the tyres and brakes and made some modifications to the suspension, the car is excellent and if it doesn’t rain, we’ll be having a crack for the win.”
 
Peter Rullo, a regular on the Targa West podium, hasn’t competed in Make Smoking History Targa South West since the first event in 2010.
 
“The last three or four months have been challenging both personally and professionally, there are lots of people doing it tough, and that’s a big reason why I’m looking forward to getting down to Pemberton,” said Rullo, who’ll be joined by regular co-driver Jimmy Marquet.
 
“COVID has been a wake up call not to take things for granted, so I’m taking the time do something that I love, get in the car and go racing. A few friends are also coming along, so it will also be a great reason to get away for the weekend to bond with some old mates.
 
“I’ll be using it as a shakedown opportunity ahead of Targa West in October, nothing too serious, but we’re keen to set ourselves up to have another decent crack at Targa West.”
 
Rullo’s Land Surveys / Autostrada 2019 Lotus Exige 410 has been upgraded to the new Lotus Exige Targa GT Spec and should arrive from the east coast later this week.

Peter Rullo / Jimmy Marquet.  Photo: Blake Rattenbury
 
“I’m excited to jump in a race car again after such a long break and hope to have it in time for a test in the coming days before Targa South West starts,” Rullo said.
 
In the Competition Classic category, last year’s winner Tim Wolfe will be with a new co-driver, Scott Beckwith, in his Dieselcraft 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS.
 
“After all this hiatus in the COVID world, it’s good to be getting back in the car. Scott is vastly more experienced than me, so I’m looking forward to learning a few things from him,” said the Kalamunda resident.
 
“We’ll be giving it our best shot to defend my title but as long as we have some fun, that’s the main thing.”

Tim Wolfe at 2019 Targa South West. Photo: Drift Images

 
In addition to the Competition Modern and Competition Classic categories, there’s the Targa 130 (speed limit of 130 kilometres per hour) and Targa 165 (speed limit of 165 kilometres per hour, as well as an electric vehicle Targa Tour, which is a spirited drive on the same closed-road stages as competitors racing the clock.
 
Florian Popp, co-owner of the Gemtek Group, EV Targa Tour Manager and Team Director for EV competitor Jurgen Lunsmann, said that Targa South West is a good opportunity to collect EV data.
 
“We’ll have a dedicated charging truck for Jurgen and another for the Targa Tour competitors which can charge six cars at once, but they should have plenty of battery life given the speed limitations,” Popp said.

Jurgen Lunsmann / Helen Lunsmann at the Shannons Targa Rallysprint series. Photo: CMR Photographic
 
Competing in the Targa 130 category and supported by Western Power, Jurgen Lunsmann will be joined by his wife Helen who’ll call pace notes in their Gemtek Group 2019 Tesla 3 Performance, a stock standard car that has only had seats replaced and a head-restraint harness fitted.
 
“Normally the Tesla has a range of about 450 kilometres, but during competition, we’re working on a factor of 5-to-1, so about 80 or 90 kilometres before it needs charging,” Popp said.
 
“As we all become more climate aware and with the trajectory of clean energy, it’s a great opportunity to educate people about electric cars in a fun way.”
 
Local truffle farmer Al Blakers and co-driver Wayne Deighton is swapping his classic Torana to compete in his Manjimup Truffles 2008 Holden HSV.
 
Will White, 2017 winner and third place finisher last year will be hoping to repeat his past success in his Dardanup Removals / Store Local 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 with co-driver Matt Thompson.

Will White / Matt Thompson. Photo: Tim Allott
 
There’ll also be a 1965 Mustang, 1964 Ford Sprint, 1969 Chevrolet Camaro, Porsche 944, Subaru WRX, Lancer Evo, Nissan GTR, 2008 Dodge Viper and plenty of other fast and furious machines.
 
Cars will start at 30-second intervals and race against the clock with the winner being the car that is fastest over all stages.
 
“The essence of motorsport is competition, but what sets rallying apart from other codes of motorsport is the camaraderie and sense of community – a group of like-minded car enthusiasts sharing a common experience – a spirited drive in some of the State’s most picturesque areas,” Tapper said.
 
The Make Smoking History Targa South West fraternity will bring approximately 400 people into Pemberton.
 
Spectators can watch the rally action from the designated spectator areas – click here for more information and visit ww.targasouthwest.com.au for results.
 
Organisers would like to thank Targa South West sponsors Healthway, along with the Make Smoking History message, Shannons, Cutts Transport, Manjimup Truffles, AAAC Towing and the Shire of Manjimup for their support along with series sponsors Axis Hire

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LADIES & GENTLEMEN…START YOUR ENGINES

Targa South West is GO GO GO!

Saturday, 8th August


Following a meeting late last week the Shire of Manjimup have given us the go ahead to proceed as planned with Option 2 for the 2020 Make Smoking History Targa South West.

Road Closure applications, Supplementary Regulations and a ream of other paperwork is making its way through the usual ‘red tape’ process and we are now 99% confident that Targa South West will proceed.  Confident enough that we have reopened entries and are now accepting entry fees from those who have already completed their online entry.
 
 
Obviously until such time as there is a vaccine or cure for COVID-19 there may be a number of additional measures in place to help minimise any potential exposure or spread of the virus. We are speaking to the relevant authorities to reduce the restrictions as much as we can.  Currently we are looking at the the following possible measures:

  • No Pemberton Street Party (this was included in Option 1)
  • Scrutiny – only 1 person to accompany the vehicle to scrutiny.
  • Contactless/Electronic Documentation Checking
  • Service Crew – limit of 2 service crew per competitor
  • Service Locations – a number of distinct service areas will be set up and teams will be need to remain in their allocated area
  • Additional COVID Declarations / Paperwork eg Dual Occupancy Vehicle Declaration
  • Temperature Screening
  • Drivers and Officials Briefings will be conducted electronically
  • No Spectator locations
As restrictions ease further…touch wood…we will be able to review the list.

Whilst the majority of our costs are the same regardless of whether it is a one day or two day event we have reduced the entry fee down to $2080, a $170 saving that reflects no dinner tickets and lower Motorsport Australia permit fees etc.

For Rookie Drivers the entry fee is only $1150 representing fantastic value for those Rallysprint competitors who have not competed in a Tarmac Rally previously (eg Targa South West or Targa West).

With a total competitive distance of 122km (only 8km less than last year), the new compressed 1 day format will still provide plenty of challenging roads for Competitors to get their teeth into.

DRAFT Road Book and Supp Regs are available to download from the Official Noticeboad.

We look forward to seeing you all in August but in the meantime keep washing your hands, maintain appropriate physical distancing and download the COVID-Safe Application and do all we can to ensure our return to Motorsport is as smooth as possible.


Kind regards

Ross, Jan & David
Targa West Pty Ltd
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TEAM RELEASE: O’Dowd – The ‘Final Stage Thief’

John O’Dowd has snatched an extra position on the final stage of Targa South West 2019.

Going into the final pass of the 3km Manjimup Truffles Pemberton street stage, O’Dowd sat five seconds behind Dennis Heller. But relishing the tighter, more technical stages, O’Dowd was six seconds quicker, taking fifth place overall by a single second.

Continue reading “TEAM RELEASE: O’Dowd – The ‘Final Stage Thief’”

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Make Smoking History Targa South West sparks close competition, a back-to-back win for Greenham and redemption for Wolfe

Mark Greenham / Stephanie Esterbauer. Photo: CMR Photographic

After a wet start on Saturday morning, conditions improved and were near-perfect for the tenth Make Smoking History Targa South West which was held in picturesque south west towns of Pemberton, Manjimup and Northcliffe.

The tarmac rally took place on 22 closed road Special Stages over a total distance of 130 kilometres, with competitors traversing 380 kilometres over the weekend (17-19 May). The stages ranged in distance from 3.11 kilometres to 15.13 kilometres with some tight technical stages and some fast, open, flowing stages.

There was an incident 400 metres into the first stage involving car number 8. Both the driver and co-driver were flown to Royal Perth Hospital and are expected to make full recovery. The co-driver has been discharged and the driver is expected to be discharged tomorrow.

The incident resulted in the following three stages, SS2, SS3 and SS4 being cancelled.

Continue reading “Make Smoking History Targa South West sparks close competition, a back-to-back win for Greenham and redemption for Wolfe”

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Australian first: R5 on tarmac at Make Smoking History Targa South West

Al Blakers. Photo: CMR Photographic

Quality field to tackle Make Smoking History Targa South West

A high-quality field of thirty-six teams are set to tackle the tenth Make Smoking History Targa South West held around the picturesque south west towns of Pemberton, Manjimup and Northcliffe from 17th to 19th May 2019.

Competitors will race the clock along 22 closed-road Special Stages, 130 kilometres of flat-out competition and drive a total distance of 380 kilometres over the weekend. The stages range from 3.11 kilometres to 15.13 kilometres, taking competitors through the spectacular Southern Forests region.

Continue reading “Australian first: R5 on tarmac at Make Smoking History Targa South West”

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Perseverance pays off for Greenham at Make Smoking History Targa South West

Greenham and Stagoll take the 2018 Outright crown.
Credit CMR Photographic

There was an intense battle at almost every stage during this weekend’s Make Smoking History Targa South West – with many producing equal first and second places, and even three way tie situations in both the Modern and Classic categories.

The new Northcliffe stage commanded competitors give both full attention and full throttle, and was a highlight for many. Despite the pressure being on with fresh routes and close competition, competitors kept their bearings for the full 130 competitive kilometres, with no event-ending incidents over the weekend. Continue reading “Perseverance pays off for Greenham at Make Smoking History Targa South West”