TARGA: Sinkers eases in

Targa’s first day encompassed 24.48km of competitive stages with the traditional finish and lunch stop at the George Town ‘street’ stage, where locals lined the course in stunning mid-autumn weather.

While in past years the first day’s stages were given easy-to-achieve base stage times to determine seeding for future days, this year a minimum time was provided for crews on-stage, making the first day mostly a test of regularity.

For motoring.com.au’s Mike 'Sinkers' Sinclair and co-driver Julia Barkley, the first day was simply about growing comfortable in the car in live stage conditions.

“With today being ‘minimum’ time we actually drove the stages with a bit in hand,” said Sinclair. “The Megane felt good right out of the box, but it’s tomorrow that the action really starts.”

Sinclair and Barkley sit in sixth place in the Wrest Point Showroom class overnight, which is headed by two former outright Targa winners: Tony Quinn in his McLaren 650S, followed by Jim Richards in the Porsche Cayman S.

Buckby Motorsport Renault team-mates Grant Denyer and Alex Gelsomino finished the day third in class, only one second off Richards’ pace.

“As I’m not rallying full-time it does take a couple of days for me to get back in the groove,” Denyer explained. “We’re chasing a little bit of set-up at the moment, but that will come to us with time in the car.”

Tomorrow, Targa truly starts in earnest. Eight stages covering 89km will be held to the North West of Launceston, culminating in the fearsome 26km Mount Roland.

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

Images: Angryman Photography