Details, details...

Targa Tasmania 2006

Almost every one of the 242 cars that will take part in the 2006 PureTasmania.com.au Targa Tasmania were locked into the arena in the event's first parc ferme last night. And from early this morning their crews were on hand making the finishing touches in preparation for tomorrow's Prologue -- the start of the event proper.

Whether you're driving a Ferrari or a Fiat, a 911 or a 403, a Maserati or a MINI, it's the little things that take the time. Getting the belts of the five-point harness so they fit just so, fitting new wiper blades, ensuring the sponsors stickers are positioned correctly, mounting the co-driver's footrest exactly where he or she needs it so they can forget about staying put in the car and concentrate on calling the notes on the stage ahead.

Some teams had more substantial work to complete today. Indeed, though in deference to the venue the organisers mandate the type of work you can carry out, there was more than a few teams doing some serious spannering.

On Team MINI CarPoint's agenda, as well as a photo shoot, a bit of PR-ing around Launceston (read: posing!!!) and the compulsory drivers briefing, were just a handful of final jobs. Nothing big, but important tasks nonetheless -- and more than enough to keep mechanics, David, Peter and Ben busy for the duration.

Getting your seat in the right position is a simple matter of pushing a button in many cars these days, though not race-prepped rally cars. Safety regulations and commonsense demand an altogether more robust seat mounting system -- our carbon-fibre race seats are quite literally bolted to the floor. Thus when yours truly asked for it to be moved forward a fraction, it was out with the spanners -- again.

The level of preparation of the Team MINI Cooper Ss is impressive and a credit to the backroom boys. The interior of each is dominated by a web of welded high-strength steel bars that make up the roll cage. The Cooper S has an immensely strong structure anyway, and with the cages (built by Bond Rollbars in Sydney) they seem like they're machined from a solid block of metal.

The MINIs interiors are stripped of niceties like carpet and sound deadening. Underneath the car there's just metal and the roll cage means the roof lining's been consigned to the rubbish skip. A drive down a road with even a light sprinkle of gravel is like being in a Baghdad neighbourhood just after the fresh ammo's been handed out.

There's the original tacho and speedo and a rudimentary heater (no aircon like the 'real' thing) but no stereo -- you couldn't hear it anyway!

Still the extra raspy exhaust note of the John Cooper Works exhaust is plenty entertainment enough. The way it cracks, rattles, burps and farts on the overrun is enough to generate a smile a mile wide -- on both occupants and bystanders. I reckon I managed to at least triple the required gearchanges on the drive back to Silverdome. Co-driver Justin was just shaking his head and laughing out loud... They're that sort of car!

Hopefully he'll be just as happy this time tomorrow. ANZAC Day is when we start to get a little serious. After the commemoration of the battle in which Australia 'grew up,' the Targa proper kicks into gear at George Town on the north eastern corner of the River Tamar's estuary. The town and waterfront stage is just over 4km long but it is Targa's equivalent of qualifying. Important -- you betcha...

The Targa organisers compulsory briefing in the afternoon set the tone for the commencement of hostilities -- be careful out there. A senior representative of the Tasmania Police read us all the riot act -- though he stopped short of telling the close to 500 participants that his men had been ordered to fire warning shots through the head... Just...

Tonight the talk's not about the cute but purposeful looks of our trio of red and white Cooper S, nor even tales of daring do from our laps of Tassie on recce (reconnaissance) in the lead up to the event (Shhhoosh, don't tell Officer Weiralldoomed). No, it's of tyre pressures and fine-tuning pace notes, of brake pad compounds and tyre heating cycles... Even of prologue strategies.

I sense a change: Sure, the guys are still smiling but I reckon the race faces have been dusted off and are well and truly ready for use...