Now lining up for their fifteenth Targa Tasmania together, the pair are confident of finishing in the top ten in the Modern Competition after some modifications to their 2004 Subaru Impreza WRX STI.
“I use this car for both gravel and tarmac rallying, so there’s always a lot of work that goes in to converting the car from one specification to the other – usually about 40 hours,” Rattray says.
Getting ready for Targa involves changing the suspension, springs and brakes, installing a new front diff, and removing all the underbody protection needed for dirt rallying.
It makes the Subaru around 20kg lighter for tarmac rallying, and after a shakedown as course car in the recent Rally Tasmania, Rattray is looking forward to Targa more than ever.
“Our car is by no means the best WRX in the field,” he says. “It’s not a true Group N spec Subaru and has an Australian-built six-speed gearbox that has done over 20,000km without a rebuild, but we still think we can push for a top ten finish.”
Despite what some other competitors think, Rattray believes that the pre-event prologue is just as important as the other stages in the rally, as it determines your starting position for the rest of the event.
“If you have a bad prologue then you can be starting behind slower cars, and if you catch cars on the stages it can really affect your times, and your overall position,” he adds. “On some days in Targa it all goes well, but on other days you’re just not really in the groove, so having a good start position can help over the course of the event.”
While he would prefer dry conditions, Rattray doesn’t mind the wet weather, and the chance to slide the car around a bit more, a-la gravel rallying style.
“Overall, experience is the key in such a long event like Targa. You need to be able to attack on stages, or sections of road, where others around the fringe of the top ten aren’t able to do so. That’s generally the fast, downhill stages, or the roads where you have to brake hard at the end of a very fast, long straight.
“Most others hate those conditions, but I love them, and usually do well in those circumstances,” he says.
Experience in the car, as well as in the stages, is also a key element of success, and Rattray admits that he couldn’t have a better ally than Tony Jackson.
“Tony is a great navigator. We’ve competed together regularly since 1991 and his reading of the pacenotes is spot on – his timing is always perfect with the calls.”
In 2008 the pair will again use Bridgestone tyres, which Rattray says have proven to be invaluable in their past Targa appearances.
“In order to preserve your tyres and be fast at Targa you need to drive very smoothly,” he adds. “Slow into the corners and fast out of them is the quickest way, and that helps to preserve your rubber.”
With only four tyres allowed per car (before time penalties are applied), looking after your tyres is seen as one of the major factors in success in Targa.
As with the rest of his preparations, Rattray believes they have ticked all the boxes and have a real shot at another coveted top ten finish. The local Tasmanian fans will no doubt be cheering him all the way to the finish.
Over 300 competitors from Australia, the USA, UK, UAE, Japan and Hong Kong have entered this year’s Targa Tasmania, the 17th anniversary event.
The rally roars into action on April 15 in Launceston and will take competitors through the heart of Tasmania, before the Hobart finish line at Wrest Point on April 20.
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