Targa New Zealand: Inkster and Winn back-to-back winners

2 November, 2015

 

For the second year in a row, Glenn Inkster and co-driver Spencer Winn (Mitsubishi Evo 8) have dominated the Targa New Zealand tarmac motor rally. In addition, the 2015 winners have successfully bagged the trifecta by winning the Metalman Targa New Zealand Rally Sprint 2015 as well as the Targa Bambina 2015 earlier in the year.

The pair arrived at the finish line of this year’s event in Palmerston North with an impressive nine-and-a-half minute lead over five-time former winners Tony Quinn and his co-driver Naomi Tillett (Nissan GT-R35), and almost 20 minutes ahead of third-placed 2013 event winners Martin Dippie and Jona Grant in Dippie’s Porsche 911 GT3.

Final results:

Andrew Simms Allcomers 4WD

  1. Glenn Inkster / Spencer Winn (2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) 07:27:03
  2. Tony Quinn / Naomi Tillett (2008 Nissan GT-R) 07:38:49
  3. Brian Green / Fleur Pedersen (2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 08:00:26
  4. David Rogers / Aidan Kelly (2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 08:06:07
  5. Graeme  Wong / Kim Blatchley (1998 Subaru Impreza Type R) 08:34:40
  6. Jeff McCandless / Marcella Mumm (2010 Subaru WRX STi) 08:47:00

Metalman Classic 2WD

  1. Bevan Claridge / Campbell Tannock (1992 Holden Commodore) 08:04:04
  2. Bruce Farley / Glen Warner (1986 BMW 325 325) 08:27:19
  3. Carl Kirk-Burnnand / Scott Hay (1991 BMW 325i) 08:28:06
  4. Ashton Wood / Chris Lancaster (1976 Ford Escort RS1800) 08:28:23
  5. Keith Callinan / Mary Anne Callinan (1977 Ford Escort) 08:40:09
  6. Bernie Hiestand / Jilly Hutson (1983 Ford Capri 2.8i) 08:42:40

Instra.com Modern 2WD

  1. Martin Dippie / Jona Grant (2007 Porsche GT3 RS) 07:46:27
  2. Steven Kirk-Burnnand / Mick Hay (1994 BMW 318ti) 07:54:35
  3. Robert Darrington / David Abetz (2002 BMW M3) 08:01:23
  4. Matt Todd / Dan Reichenbach (2008 BMW M3) 08:04:06
  5. Grant Aitken / Caroline Cullimore (2013 Toyota 86 RC) 08:07:34
  6. Chris Lewis / Kieran Anstis (2013 Toyota TR86) 08:22:15

Overall

  1. Glenn Inkster / Spencer Winn (2003 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 (07:27:03)
  2. Tony Quinn / Naomi Tillett (2008 Nissan GT-R) 07:38:49
  3. Martin Dippie / Jona Grant (2007 Porsche GT3 RS) 07:49:27
  4. Steven Kirk-Burnnand / Mick Hay (1994 BMW 318ti) 07:54:35
  5. Brian Green / Fleur Pedersen (2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 08:00:26
  6. Robert Darrington / David Abetz (2002 BMW M3) 08:01:23
  7. Bevan Claridge / Campbell Tannock (1992 Holden Commodore) 08:04:04
  8. Matt Todd / Dan Reichenbach (2008 BMW M3) 08:04:06
  9. David Rogers / Aidan Kelly (2009 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 08:06:07
  10. Grant Aitken / Caroline Cullimore (2013 Toyota 86 RC) 08:07:34

Targa 2015 winners Glenn Inkster and Spencer Winn (Mitsubishi Evo 8) in action and celebrating their second event victory in as many years.

Winners of the Metalman Classic 2WD class, and first V8 pair home, were Bevan Claridge and Campbell Tannock (Holden Commodore V8).

Winner of the Instra.com Modern 2WD class and third overall were Martin Dippie and Jona Grant from Dunedin (Porsche 911 GT3).

2015 Targa New Zealand class winners from left Jona Grant and Martin Dippie (Instra.com Allcomers 2WD), Glenn Inkster and Spencer Winn (Overall and Andrew Simms Allcomers 4WD), and Bevan Claridge and Campbell Tannock (Metalman Classic 2WD).

A second dose of Dash

When the car arrived in Wellington in December 2018 it was duly taken along for entry certification. Vehicle Inspection NZ (VINZ) found some wrongly wired lamps and switches — not too bad — but, much more significantly, some poor welding repairs. As the structural problems were probed more thoroughly, we realized the previous owner’s restoration would not do and we needed an upgrade. Dash had made it into the country but it would take some time and money before he would be free to explore any of New Zealand’s scenic highways.
We took the car to our new home in Johnsonville in the northern suburbs of Wellington and I pored over the car in detail to figure out what was next. There were lots of new parts on the car and a very perky reconditioned drivetrain but the chassis needed serious work.

Lunch with… Jim Palmer

In the 1960s, Hamilton’s Jim Palmer won the prestigious ‘Gold Star’ four times and was the first resident New Zealander home in the New Zealand Grand Prix on five consecutive occasions. He shared the podium with Stirling Moss, Jack Brabham, Bruce McLaren, Graham Hill, Jim Clark, Denny Hulme, Jackie Stewart, and Chris Amon. The extent of his domination of the open-wheeler scene in New Zealand will probably never be matched or exceeded. Yet he’s always been modest about his achievements.