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).

Coaching from the bench: Casting plastic knobs and rubber parts

Casting rubber items is simple if you have a good original to work with. The item doesn’t have to be perfect. You can use plasticine to smooth out cracks, and you can even make whole prototypes out of low-fire modelling clay available from craft stores if you need to. Prototypes can also be made of wood or metal.
You will need mould dams to contain the liquid urethane moulding solution until it cures. You can build boxes out of strips of wood, but I have found that small plastic boxes and bowls such as those you would use for leftovers in your fridge work well if you spray them with a mould release agent.
Temperature is important to the chemical processes involved, so work in an area that can be maintained at around 20 degrees. You will also need adequate ventilation because the fumes can be dangerous to breathe. And you will want to wear latex gloves to protect your hands.

Fraser Cars – low flying into the fourth decade

With almost three and a half decades under its belt, Fraser Cars is one of New Zealand’s longest-surviving car manufacturers. The company first opened its doors for business in 1988, during the boom time for kit manufacturers. During the ’80s, around 40 different companies were building kits and turnkey cars for this niche market. Of those, only Fraser and Almac Cars (established 1981) are still in business today.
Most of the new kit car companies were killed off in the cradle by the threat of new legislation that never eventuated and definitively by the sudden availability of high-performance Japanese cars when the floodgates to second-hand imports were opened. The now long-retired founder of the company, Neil Fraser, first came across Lotus Seven replicas while racing Lotus Cortinas in the early ’80s. He regularly found himself racing against a little Caterham, a Lotus Seven–styled car built in England. He was very impressed by its simplicity and handling. In 1986 Fraser built his own Lotus Seven–type car, using the knowledge he had gained from several close looks at the Caterham.