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Targa New Zealand: defending champions lead the way

27 October, 2015

Glenn Inkster and Spencer Winn have made an early charge in their Mitsubishi Evo 8 to the top of the leader board after the first day of the 21st annual Targa New Zealand rally event on Monday, October 26.  

Information on both the main (six-day) 2015 Targa New Zealand and the two-day Targa Regional Rally events can be found in the latest copy (November 2015) of New Zealand Classic Car magazine.

Day one results:

Andrew Simms Allcomers 4WD

  1. Glenn Inkster / Spencer Winn (2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) 00:18:04
  2. Tony Quinn / Naomi Tillett (2008 Nissan GT-R) 00:18:38
  3. Jason Gill / Mark  Robinson (2005 Mitsubishi Lancer EVO9) 00:18:47
  4. Nic de Waal / Guy Hodgson (2002 Subaru Impreza) 00:19:07
  5. David Rogers / Aidan Kelly (2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 00:20:17
  6. Brian Green / Fleur Pedersen (2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 00:20:20

Metalman Classic 2WD

  1. Bevan Claridge / Campbell Tannock (1992 Holden Commodore) 00:19:33
  2. Jason Easton / Campbell Ward (1966 Ford Mustang) 00:19:35
  3. Mark and Chris Kirk-Burnnand (1987 BMW M3) 00:19:37
  4. Bruce Farley / Glen Warner (1986 BMW 325) 00:20:17
  5. Ashton Wood / Chris Lancaster (1976 Ford Escort RS1800) 00:20:35
  6. Barry Kirk Burnannd / Dave O’Carroll (1989 BMW M3) 00:20:48

Instra.com Modern 2WD

  1. Clark Proctor / Sue O’Neill (1973 Escort MK1) 00:19:18
  2. Martin Dippie / Jona Grant (2007 Porsche GT3 RS) 00:19:37
  3. Marcus Van Klink / Dave Neill (2004 Citroen C2 Super 1600) 00:19:40
  4. Robert Darrington / David Abetz (2002 BMW M3) 00:19:53
  5. Grant Aitken / Caroline Cullimore (2013 Toyota 86 RC) 00:19:54
  6. Andre Cowan / Brett Cowan (1992 BMW 325i) 00:19:58

Defending Targa New Zealand title-holders Glenn Inkster and Spencer Winn (Mitsubishi Evo 8) have taken an early lead in the 2015 Targa NZ event from Auckland to Palmerston North

Leading the Instra.com Modern 2WD class is Clark Proctor and Sue O’Neill (Ford Escort / Nissan V6)

Third in Metalman Classic 2WD are Mark and Chris Kirk-Burnnand in their BMW M3

Photo credit: Fast Company / ProShotz

 

 

 

 

Lunch with Bill Leckie: An Imp’s tale

6 August, 2026

Seeking limelight is part of Bill Leckie’s DNA, but when I asked him if anyone had written about his career and the cars he created, he didn’t think so. Even so, I was delighted when he agreed to sit down with me over a pie and coffee to reminisce. I started by asking how it is that someone who is so fanatical about F1 only ever raced saloon cars? Well, we’ll get to that, but where did things start? “I went to Cornwall Park Primary School and then to Remuera Intermediate where I became good mates with Geoff Perry, son of the legendary motorcycle racing legend Len.” Geoff Perry was 23 and on the edge of stardom when he was killed in a mystery air disaster over the Pacific in 1973. “We used to race around his backyard on a cutdown motorbike. It was friendly competition that I suppose helped hone our racing instincts. There was never much between us and so, by 11 or 12, I had a definite leaning towards speed.”

Mitsubishi’s secret weapon

31 July, 2026

Ewen’s Starion is a little different and special. He saved this one – literally ‘found in a paddock’ — just in time, as he relates.
“Mine is a 1983 Starion. I’ve had it about five years. I first saw it in a paddock at Ryal Bush [north of Invercargill], and I went past it three times. The third time I went back and knocked at the door, but the owner didn’t want to sell. He rang up a year later, and put a price on it, which we accepted. Only thing wrong was the motor was totally dismantled.”
Ewen then set about getting the car back to its current state.
“It took me six months to find somebody suitable to refurbish it back then. Simon Bradley at Midas in Invercargill offered to do it and he did a great job on it. The head was badly damaged around the valves, and Simon said you could get generic cylinder heads now, so he installed one, and it cost $800. It’s made such a difference to the car. Mine is an intercooled, fuel-injected turbo model, fitted with a five-speed manual gearbox. It’s a great car to drive too.”
Except for a small patch of surface rust, Ewen’s car was in surprisingly good condition despite its paddock life.