TARGA: Changes await tarmac rally competitors in Tasmania

Targa Tasmania, Australia's premier tarmac rally, gets underway on Monday, April 27. And with a field of around 200 cars expected and significant course changes, this year's event should offer something for motorsport fans of every ilk.

In a taste of things to come for next year's 25th Anniversary of the 40-plus stage closed-road event, the course has been changed significantly and now comprises six days of competition.

This year the sting in Targa's tail will be four stages south of Hobart on Day Six. Thus for the first time, the fan-favourite Targafest will move south, with the state's capital taking over hosting duties from the traditional Launceston location.

A static display that allows the audience to get up close and personal with an incredible variety of exotic machines will be held indoors at the Macquarie 2 terminal in Hobart, on Friday, May 1 from a family-friendly 6:00pm.

Northern Tasmanian spectators shouldn’t fear, however, as the Launceston Silverdome (home base for the first three legs of competition) will host a Targa Expo.

COURSE OUTLINE
Targa's competitive stages will now span six days. The opening leg takes in four stages, including the traditional town super stage through George Town. This is followed on day two by a further eight Tuesday stages, culminating in the hair-raising 26km of Mt Roland.

On day three competitors head out on the north east loop for a further eight stages, encompassing the legendary 13.70km Sideling. The historic Longford town stage to closes out leg three.

The field then says goodbye to the Silverdome, heading first to the north west via the incomparable 37.10km of Cethana before surging down the west coast to overnight in coastal bliss of Strahan.

Where in the recent past competitors have enjoyed two nights in Strahan, this year’s fifth leg leaves the west to overnight in Hobart. It’s a day crowned by the 51.37km Mt Arrowsmith stage, the longest of the entire event. That Arrowsmith immediately follows the moonscape of the Queenstown stage simply adds to the spectacle.

With a rediscovery of the south this year, the Huon Valley loop south of Hobart has been incorporated into Targa Tasmania for the first time since 2007. These legendary roads (including the 14.49km burst of Cygnet) will host the last of six competition days, culminating in a Hobart finish on Saturday, May 2.

The traditional overall winner has come from the Modern category, and this year’s entry list is strong.

Last year's winners Jamie Vandenberg/Dennis Sims return in a 2013 Nissan GT-R. The Tassie crew can expect tough competition from within the GT-R camp, with 2008 winners and former Mazda factory team Steve Glenney/Bernie Webb in a 2009 example. Other GT-R crews to watch include Adam Spence/Erin Kelly and David Ayers/Stuart Benson.

The big Nissans will most ably be challenged by long-term top crew Jason and John White, who return with a Raging Bull (2013 Lamborghini Gallardo Squadra Corse), after needing to run in a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX in 2014. It didn’t slow them down, though; they were pressing for the win until an accident out west last year.

Ben Newman and Crichton Lewis (motoring’s Buckby ‘team-mates’) are also in the outright category with a 2014 Subaru Impreza STI, and local Eddie Maguire will team with Michael Potter in a potent 2007 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo.

With vehicles as diverse as an Audi R8 V10, Ginetta G40, Daytona Coupe and Aston Martin V8 Vantage N24, it won’t take long to pick a personal favourite for the fans lining the course.

Other ‘fastest time wins’ categories include early and late classics, early modern, vintage rallye, 4WD Showroom and Showroom; the latter housing ‘our’ crews. Showroom winner in 2013, Grant Denyer is back in a category winning RenaultSport Megane RS 265, this time joined by internationally-renowned co-driver Alex Gelsomino; perhaps best known for sitting alongside Ken Block in world rallying events.

motoring.com.au’s editor in chief Mike Sinclair also returns in a RenaultSport Megane RS 265, this time with two-times Targa winning co-driver, Julia Barkley.

With category changes combining all non-four-wheel drive showroom vehicles, the lithe Renaults will be competing against the likes of eight-time outright Targa Tasmania winners Jim Richards/Barry Oliver aboard a Porsche Cayman S, and the incredible McLaren 650S of Tony Quinn, himself a two-time outright winner. No pressure then, fellas…

In addition to the race categories, Targa Tasmania offers regularity (where competitors need to match a target time per stage, losing points for being faster or slower) and a pace-car led tour, allowing people to enjoy the best roads in the world in a safe environment, without going to the expense of building an unregisterable roll-caged rally machine.

Of course we will be providing ‘at the scene’ race reports and feature stories as the Targa week unfolds.

Full coverage of 2015 Targa Tasmania on motoring.com.au