TARGA: Team motoring.com.au just off the podium
$45K takes it to the big guns at world’s greatest tarmac rallyMotoring.com.au editor-in-chief Mike Sinclair and co-driver Julia Barkley have taken their GT2-class Renault Megane RS to fourth position in the 25th Targa Tasmania.
It was a honourable finish for the Buckby Motorsport-prepared hot hatch, which was only beaten to the podium by a Porsche 991 GT3, Dodge Viper ACR and Porsche Cayman GT4.
The arrival at Princes Wharf after six days of fraught competition also erased (mostly) memories of 2015, when the pairing – in the same car – made it to Leg Five before encountering mechanical issues.
“The story for us is simple,” said Sinclair. “We’ve taken a $45,000 hot hatch and finished behind cars with a combined value of around $850,000.”
In doing so the Megane was the first front-driver to finish in GT2.
It also set equal-second fastest time on the morning’s misty first test, the 7.68km Tinderbox. Pushing until the finish, Sinclair/Barkley also took second place on the final two tests, Pelverata and Longley.
“It’s been another great event. It’s something I’ll never tire of doing,” said Sinclair, while Barkley added that the tarmac rally is among her favourites.
That’s it for our Targa Tasmania 2016 coverage. We suggest blocking Monday, April 24 through to Saturday, April 20 next year out of the calendar now, so you can come and see what all the fuss is about.
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