Glenn Inkster is picking a strong three-way battle for outright honours on next week’s Targa New Zealand, which runs on roads all across the central North Island over the course of next week.
Inkster, who will drive the Eco Light Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 6.5, picks his main opposition for the crown to come from Australian Tony Quinn in his Nissan R35 GT-R and defending New Zealand Rally Champion Richard Mason and his Subaru Impreza, although as the winner of both the Targa Bambina and Targa Rotorua earlier this year, Inkster also has to think of the overall Targa series title, a Motorsport New Zealand sanctioned series for the first time this year, for which he has so far recorded a perfect score.
In their previous two attempts at the iconic week-long event, Inkster and co-driver Spencer Winn have twice finished runner up to Quinn, but a switch from gravel rallying to circuit racing this season has seen the Howick-based driver more competitive than ever on tarmac.
Also motivating Inkster is the fact that no driver has ever taken a clean-sweep of Targa events in a calendar year, a feat that Inkster would love to add to an already impressive list of accolades achieved that range from wins as varied as gravel rallies and circuit races as well as three two-day Targa titles.
But Inkster is under no illusions of the task at hand to do the job amongst such a quality field.
“It’s going to be a fantastic three-way battle, but bear in mind that there are probably another four of five cars that will probably win stages across the week so there is every chance that someone else will be able to create a bit of a surprise,” says Inkster. “It’s going to be a great week and we would dearly love to win it, but we also have to be a bit responsible with the championship title on the line.”
Targa New Zealand starts on Tuesday, 23 October and takes contestants from Auckland down to New Plymouth, back across to Taupo before heading south for Palmerston North then East again for Havelock North, the eventual finish destination. The event uses legendary roads including the forgotten highway that runs from Stratford to Taumaranui and the Gentle Annies, trekking from Taihape right across to Napier.
Press Release by BB Media
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