Targa Tasmania: Prologue results

The Targa Tasmania tarmac rally has begun in earnest, with the Temco Prologue stage run yesterday by more than 270 competitors.

A 4.81 kilometre street stage around George Town, the initial prologue stage does not count towards overall Targa Tasmania results, but it does determine road positions for the remainder of the event.

It could be considered a qualifying of sorts.

Pre-event favourites Jason White (Modern class), Rex Broadbent (Classic class) and Tony Warren (Showroom class) have set the fastest times in their respective categories, in front of a big crowd of enthusiastic spectators.

Jason White, driving his new Lamborghini Gallardo Supertrofeo Strada, got off to a blistering start, making the point to his rivals that he is determined to back up his victory from Targa Wrest Point in January. With changes to the specification of his Lamborghini, his car appears faster than in previous events, which will be a major concern to his rivals.

Queenslander Tim Hendy was a surprise second driving a 2005 Daytona Coupe, 5.65 seconds back. West Australian Steve Jones drove his 2008 Nissan GT-R into third place, 6.36 seconds behind White.

Last year's winner, Tony Quinn was fourth and eight-time winner Jim Richards fifth. Both will now push hard to make an impact when the rally gets underway in earnest on Wednesday morning.

"This new car has certainly put a grin on our faces. It's a hell of a lot of fun to drive and we've never really had a crack at the Prologue before," White commented.

"We've always gone at a reasonable pace, but never recced it or used pace notes for it before. The plan was to go slow and steady, but it all felt nice when we took off, and we definitely went around there quicker than we've ever gone before."

The Team Skoda Carsales Octavia RS-P wagon was arguably the most unusual competitor at the prologue stage, carrying a pair of bicycles on the roof, which is believed to be a motorsport first. Driver Mike Sinclair said: "The bikes only weigh 8kg so you can't really feel that they're there. You can hear them though. They whistle so much, it sounds like you've got an extra turbo."

Victorian Rex Broadbent was the fastest Classic car over the Temco Prologue stage.

His 1974 Porsche 911 RS was 2.41 seconds quicker than Tasmanian hope, David Cooper, in his 1977 Torana A9X. Peter Eames, who Broadbent thinks will be his greatest rival this year, was third, another 1.39 seconds back in his 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS.

"A week before the event I decided I'd better do it," Broadbent said. "Chris (Randell) volunteered to be my navigator at the last minute, so it's all come together rather quickly, but the car felt good today -- really good. We got through cleanly; nothing to worry about and we didn't knock any wheels off."

Hobart driver Tony Warren confirmed his favourite status to take the Showroom title. The former winner, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9, heads the newer Lancer Evo X of motoring journalist Dean Evans by 2.34 seconds.

The Mazda 3 MPS of 21-year-old Victorian, Brendan Reeves, was third quickest in the Showroom competition over the short street stage.

Quickest Vintage car was the newly acquired 1938 Dodge Speedster Special of Wayne Clark and Roger Richardson.

Check out the Targa Tasmania Team Skoda Carsales minisite for more details on the Carsales entry at the tarmac rally.

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