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Targa New Zealand: Metalman Classic front runners out of the hunt

30 October, 2015

 

The father-and-son duo that is Mark and Chris Kirk-Burnnand (BMW M3) are out of the competition after leading the Metalman Classic class. In an interview with Targa Media representative Ross McKay, Mark said, “About 15kms in the engine just went bang. There’s now a hole you could put your foot through in the [engine] block, so we borrowed a trailer off Glenn Inkster and towed the car out. There’s no way we can find and fit another engine in the time we have left so we’ll spend the rest of the event supporting the other Kirk-Burnnand cars and come back ourselves next year.”

Meanwhile, Glenn Inkster and Spencer Winn (Mitsubishi Evo 8) continued to stamp their dominance on the field after the end of a rain-lashed day four (Thursday, October 29), with a lead of eight minutes and four seconds over Tony Quinn and Naomi Tillett (2008 Nissan GTR). 

The 21st annual Targa New Zealand event now heads east to Havelock North via Taihape and the Gentle Annie road on Friday, October 30, before returning west for the finish at Palmerston North (at The Square) on Saturday, October 31.

Friday also sees the start of the two-day Targa Regional Rally event within an event.

Results:

Andrew Simms Allcomer 4WD

  1. Glenn Inkster / Spencer Winn (2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) 04:24:08
  2. Tony Quinn / Naomi Tillett (2008 Nissan GTR) 04:32:04
  3. Brian Green / Fleur Pedersen (2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 04:47:35
  4. David Rogers / Aidan Kelly (2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 04:50:18
  5. Graeme Wong / Kim Blatchley (1998 Subaru Impreza Type R) 05:07:38
  6. Jeff McCandless / Marcella Mumm (2010 Subaru WRX ST1) 05:14:10

Metalman Classic 2WD

  1. Bevan Claridge / Campbell Tannock (1992 Holden Commodore) 04:47:34
  2. Keith and Mary Anne Callinan (1977 Ford Escort) 04:57:37
  3. Ashton Wood / Chris Lancaster (1976 Ford Escort RS1800) 05:03:28
  4. Bruce Farley / Glen Warner (1986 BMW 325 325) 05:04:01
  5. Mark and Chris Kirk-Burnnand (1987 BMW M3) 05:06:18
  6. Carl Kirk-Burnnand / Scott Hay (1991 BMW 325i) 05:07:12

Instra.com Modern 2WD

  1. Martin Dippie / Jona Grant (2007 Porsche GT3 RS) 04:40:11
  2. Steven Kirk-Burnnand / Mick Hay (1994 BMW 318ti) 04:43:33
  3. Grant Aitken / Caroline Cullimore (2013 Toyota 86 RC) 04:48:38
  4. Robert Darrington / David Abetz (2002 BMW M3) 04:48:40
  5. Matt Todd / Dan Reichenbach (2008 BMW M3) 04:50:28
  6. Chris Lewis / Kieran Anstis (2013 Toyota TR86) 04:53:40

Overall

  1. Glenn Inkster / Spencer Winn 04:24:08
  2. Tony Quinn / Naomi Tillett 04:32:04
  3. Martin Dippie / Jona Grant 04:40:11
  4. Steven Kirk-Burnnand / Mick Hay 04:43:33
  5. Bevan Claridge / Campbell Tannock 04:47:24
  6. Brian Green / Fleur Pedersen 04:47:35

Leading the Instra.com Modern 2WD class after four days of Targa New Zealand competition is Dunedin pair Martin Dippie and Jona Grant in a Porsche 911 GT3.

Latest front-runners to retire are Mark and Chris Kirk-Burnnand (BMW M3).

Now with a healthy lead in Metalman Classic are Bevan Claridge and Campbell Tannock (Holden Commodore V8).

And now up to second place in Metalman Classic 2WD is the Australian husband-and-wife pair of Keith and Mary Anne Callinan (Ford Escort RS1800).

Photo credit: Fast Company/ProShotz

 

 

Ford’s Mustang – the endlessly hip American dream machine

28 May, 2026

Fifty or so years ago, the only place in New Zealand to see a Ford Mustang was on the racetrack. In a local market severely constrained by a lack of new motor vehicles, the new North American Ford was a dreamy icon boosted by considerable motorsport success.
Import licences for cars were limited, and if Kiwis travelled abroad, the amount of currency they could take with them was restricted. What’s more, those funds could not be used to buy a car for importation back home. Yet it was OK to spend the money on heavy drinking at a London pub, Gucci shoes, sable fur coats, and excessive stays at the Hôtel Martinez at Cannes in France.
However, any rare Mustang that landed on our shores would not be destined to pose around Auckland’s then trendy Queen Street on a Friday night but would more likely be found in the care of well-known racing drivers on the starting grid at local motor racing tracks.

Chrysler’s classy cruiser

22 May, 2026

I first saw our feature car, a 1970 V8-powered Regal 770 hardtop, towing a trailer carrying the tidy Ford Anglia classic racing saloon in Broadspeed racing colours that has featured in these pages. The coupe is comparatively rare here, which means anyone contemplating purchasing one of these big two-doors is sure to see prices continue to climb. The latter Charger has claimed much of the Aussie Chrysler limelight, but the simpler and classier lines of this car, which appeared dated soon after its introduction, now have a more timeless appeal.
Former owner, Balclutha motor engineer, Mike Verdoner, remembers the car well. He believes it came from Dunedin originally.
“I’m not sure about the car’s history, but I bought it off its owner at Kaitangata. Unusually, it was advertised in the local newspaper, the Clutha Leader, which was a surprise as these usually go for a lot more money on the internet. I had it for quite a few years. It needed a little bit of work to tidy it up, so I had to decide whether to spend the money on it to do it up, which could have been twenty grand. Its value at the time was not like it is now, so I sold it to Ewan. It’s probably now worth three or four times what I sold it for.”