South Australians have dominated the action on day one of Rally Tasmania and lead both the modern and classic sections of the event.
Steve Glenney blitzed the modern competition, setting the fastest time on all four stages contested. He has established a 12 second lead over seven time Bathurst champion Jim Richards, with 2007 Targa Tasmania winner, Tony Sullens third, 25 seconds off the pace.
Cameron Wearing looks like the man to beat in the Classics, opening up a ten second buffer in his 1971 Ford Capri-Perana over Keith Callinan’s 1972 De Tomaso Pantera. Callinan’s son, Daniel, is third with his 1979 Holden Commodore a further ten seconds behind.
Glenney, driving a Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8, was immediately in the groove on the testing roads around Burnie, and despite his relative inexperience in the Apple Isle, carries the mantle of the new favourite with two days to go.
But he is sure to face a full on challenge from those right behind him. Eight times Targa winner Richards and his Porsche are a formidable opponent, and as long as the rains stays away across the final two days, will be pushing hard for outright honours right to the end on Sunday.
Sullens was brilliant in taking Targa honours last year and spent the opening stages settling in with his new co-driver, John Mills. The pair can be expected to increase their pace as they learn to work together.
Local driver Jamie Vandenberg is in fifth place, 30 seconds off the lead.
Wearing set the fastest time on the final three special stages in the Classics. The time for the opening stage is not included in the total time, so he set the pace every time it counted.
The Callinans are a true motorsport family who regularly dominate the podium, and Wearing knows that they will keep the pressure on across the next 17 special stages and 175 competitive kilometres.
Wearing was delighted to be setting such consistently quick times.
"We weren't going flat out as the conditions were a bit slippery, but we got through without any problems.
"We know we're not going to have an easy run once the Callinans get their heads in to it.
"It is nice to know we have that extra time up our sleeve as we'll need it down the track."
Saturday's action takes in ten stages across 114 competitive kilometres, including two sprints around the streets of Burnie starting at 5:19pm.
The rally finishes on Sunday with a further seven stages across 61 competitive kilometres.
Leg One - Rally Tasmania - Top 10 Classics (Provisional)
1 C Wearing/R Cochrane, 1971 Ford Capri-Perana, 11 mins 49 seconds
2 K Callinan/MA Callinan, 1972 De Tomaso Pantera, + 10secs
3 D Callinan/G Weston, 1979 Holden Commodore, +20 secs
4 H de Corti/M de Corti, 1974 Porsche 911 RS, +26 secs
5 R Paterson,/R Geue, 1974 Porsche 911 RS, +31secs
6 L Burton/D Burton, 1980 Porsche 928S, +33 secs
7 D Cooper/B Sherriff, 1977 Holden Torana A9X, +39 secs
8 P Van Summeren/J Hadden, 1970 Ford Escort RS 1600, +41 secs
9 G Leesen/P Dell, 1969 Ford Falcon XWGTHO, +51 secs
10 M Laucke/R Laccke, 1974 Porsche Carrera 3.0RS +52 secs
Leg One - Rally Tasmania - Top 10 Modern (Provisional)
1 S Glenney/B Webb, 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8 MR RS, 11 mins 01 secs
2 J Richards/B Oliver, 2007 Porsche GT3 RS, + 12secs
3 T Sullens/J Mills, 1999 Subaru Impreza WRX RA, +25 secs
4 T Longhurst/J Taylor, 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, +29 secs
5 J Vandenberg/S Vandenberg, 2006 Mitsubishi lancer Evo9, +30 secs
6 M Heskin/B Searcy, 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 RS, + 40 secs
7 E Evans/C Murphy, 2005 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, +42 secs
8 F Purdey/P Burrey, 2005 Porsche 966 Turbo S, +43 secs
9 P Summers/B Anesbury, 2007 Porsche 997 GT3 RS, +44 secs
10 K Quinn/N Deniese, 2006 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, +48 secs
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