A Co-driver's View

As a professional co-driver I am fortunate enough to be employed to do my hobby. I have always thought this to be the next best thing to being a motoring journo!

So when I was contacted by the Carsales Network's main man, Mike Sinclair and asked if I was available for Targa Tasmania a few thoughts went through my head:

Was he like most motoring journalists who think they can drive better than everyone else? Did I want to spend five days in a MINI? Would he want to try and win the event? Would he actually listen to me?

Having competed in Targa Tasmania for the first time in 2006 I was keen to get back to the best roads in the country. After exchanging a few interview-like questions we reached an agreement and plans for recce were made. This is our opportunity to traverse the course and make pace-notes to assist during the event, while abiding by all road rules!

Spending four days driving around Tasmania doing recce and sharing a room with someone you have never met before is either a recipe for disaster or a great way to develop a new friendship that should survive most things.

Luckily for me, recce was made easier by the fact Mike had done the event before with a good friend of mine, Justin Hunt, and last year they had created a good set of pace-notes that we could work on refining.

Add to the equation the fact that I had never even sat in a Mini before and that Mike used a different system to Dean Herridge, who I have been sitting beside for the last three years, anything was possible.

Fortunately for both of us recce was a success. I thoroughly enjoyed working with someone who was so enthusiastic and willing to try a few ideas I had to improve the notes. 

As we parted ways after recce I headed for Perth with five books full of pace-notes to tidy-up and double check and Mike went back to the office do some work and start getting nervous; both quietly confident that we had a good preparation for the event.

A few weeks later we were back in Tassie and the beaming smile on Mike's face when he collected me from the airport said it all. He was ready to rally and was struggling to hold back the excitement of the pending event.

Two days to the start and the hype had begun: Mike had taken some kids for a ride in his Mini rig and now he just wanted to get into it. After the usual documentation, vehicle checks and a final bit of recce Tuesday was upon us and that meant it was 'Rally Day'!

The event starts with a Prologue where crews race the clock to determine start positions for the rest of the week, with the fastest car in the Prologue starting last and slowest first.

Despite a few pre-event nerves and the distraction of sitting in a Mini covered in a Snakeskin vinyl we got off to a great start putting in a clean safe run that gave us a position about 50th.

The livery on our cars was turning heads and drawing in crowds -- a great promotional idea by Mini that would just continue to grow in popularity for the entire event. Either that, or they thought Mike was hot!

Day One involved a few easy stages that were not competitive but gave drivers a chance to dial themselves in and, importantly, gave co-drivers a chance to start trusting their driver. Take it from me: it is slightly unusual to allow someone you hardly know drive as fast as they can along roads that wind and twist their way through some of the most picturesque forests with some of the biggest trees I have ever seen... I am a closet 'greenie': I hate hurting trees with rally cars!

By the day's end I was getting used to the unbelievably good brakes in our car and starting to realise that this journo could actually drive. I was having a ball and we were already sitting 28th: two spots better than Mike's objective for the event.

The next morning we left Launceston and headed down the east coast over some of the best roads in the event.

We tackled a couple of tough stages including the infamous Sidelings, where the Mini speedo went into unfamiliar territory, comfortably passing the 200km/h barrier.

An interesting moment on an extremely wet and slippery corner heading down Elephant Pass, where the back of the car wanted to pass the front, reminded both of us that things can go wrong very easily.

Quick reactions and a little luck kept us off the armco: no time was lost, and like a real driver the moment was quickly forgotten and we made it to Hobart with the car in perfect condition.

Day Three takes in Hobart and its surrounding southern areas. A number of short stages with tricky crests and some rough roads became the scene for the undoing of several crews in this year's event.

An off-camber, 'tightening' corner that caught out motorcycle ace, Darryl Beattie, in 2006 was to claim five victims.

The Snake Team got through with flying colours and continued to push up the leaderboard. We had found a good rhythm and Mike was driving with great maturity. He should -- he is not that young.

The fourth day of Targa Tasmania is considered by serious punters as the rally's official start, as we travel from Hobart all the way up the centre to the overnight stop at Burnie. It's a testing day with everything from big jumps over railway lines to the famous 37km of the Cethana Stage.

With dark clouds on the horizon, Team Snake made its best tactical decision of the event and started working through the field in an attempt to ensure they got to Burnie with dry shoes and enjoyed dry roads.

This was a great move and we were rewarded with our only top ten finish of the event on the very challenging South Rianna Stage. Eventually the rain caught up with us and the last three kilometre stage was completed in slippery conditions.

It was a day of interesting sights with some of the most bizarre parking we have ever seen. I saw more taillights down embankments than you would normally see driving home in peak hour. Obviously parking restrictions are fairly casual in the Apple Isle.

After playing bodyguard for our infamous teammate, Grant Denyer we managed to finish dinner and hit the pillow sitting a very credible 23rd outright.

We were greeted with wet roads, cold weather and fog for Day Five. This did not affect our high spirits and we set off down the beautiful west coast with the Hobart finish firmly in our sights.

The day started with Hellyer Gorge and, as the name suggests, it is a great test of machinery and driving talent. A number of switch-backs and tightening corners on wet roads ensured you knew it was time to wake up and forget about the pending finish.

We had a good run through in the slippery conditions but lamented being so far up the field as the roads appeared to be drying for the guys at the back.

After a quick splash of fuel we tackled the short but difficult Mt Black stage; 4km uphill and 3km down to the town of Rosebury where the next stage started almost immediately.

Unfortunately for Team Snake this was not to be our best sporting moment. It started badly when we missed a note just over a crest and nearly sent our beast into the scenery.

Our rhythm never returned and about 12 kilometres in, disaster struck: we brushed the back right-hand wheel against a plastic chicane.

No big deal... Except the penalty for such an infraction was a five minutes penalty -- yes, five whole minutes!

Although disappointed, we managed to get the car to the end of the stage without a rush of blood and damage to the car: a true testament to the driver.

Spirits were low as we moved on to Strahan for one of the top three stages in the event.

As we waited near the start line licking our wounds we were amazed to hear our Cheetah teammates of Denyer and Moscatt had somehow managed to hit the exact same chicane: totally bizarre considering we are in two of the smallest cars in the field.

The disappointment continued as the Strahan stage was cancelled after a serious accident. We headed for lunch before tackling the awesome climb out of Queenstown.

As we lined up for the awesome 47km Mt Arrowsmith stage we were determined to finish the event with a great run through this true test of stamina.

It was not to be our day as we were flagged down at the half-way mark for yet another accident where an Escort had tried to park inside a Mercedes that had been stranded off the side of the road two hours earlier.

No serious injuries, but our stage was done and we proceeded to the end at a non-competitive speed after briefly assisting at the scene of the incident.

A short sprint through the last stage and we managed to steer the mighty Snake MINI home in the same immaculate condition that it was given to us at the start of the event.

While Mike and I were fortunate to enjoy the spoils of the finish ceremony, this was a huge team effort and, as always, it is the people behind the scenes that are the backbone to motorsport success.

Mike has not yet changed my opinion that most motoring journos drive beyond their ability but I would confidently sit beside him in any event. There are still others that I would not let drive me to the shop!

Most importantly I gained a newfound respect for a great car; enjoyed the company of a great team and made a new close mate while enjoying the amazing Targa experience.

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