Burnie’s Jamie Vandenberg has a wealth of rallying experience, including being a former Tasmanian Rally Champion.

But the local favourite has only contested Targa Tasmania once, and that was in 2007 when he finished second to five-time Australian Rally Champion, Ross Dunkerton, in the Targa Rookie Rallye.

This year, however, Vandenberg and his co-driving brother, Simon, are planning on an all-out attack on the main event – an event that they have always watched and dreamt of competing in.

“In the past I have only ever had gravel specification rally cars, which weren’t ideally suited to Targa Tasmania,” Jamie Vandenberg said. “But last year we built a new Lancer Evo IX with the aim of contesting Targa, and we can’t wait.”

Vandenberg’s Mitsubishi Evo IX has been built from the ground up as a tarmac rally car, and sports all the ‘must have’ rally equipment for success at Targa. With around 245kW at the wheels, it’s a weapon that has the potential of upstaging the more fancied cars, and drivers, in the 17th running of Targa Tasmania.

“My goal is to finish in the top five,” Vandenberg added, “but against the Porsches and drivers of the calibre of Jim Richards and Steve Glenney, that won’t be easy.”

There are plenty of factors that will influence the result, not the least of which are tyres and the weather. Cars are restricted to using four tyres for the duration of the event, otherwise time penalities are imposed on competitors.

After a fifth placing in the recent Rally Tasmania, Vandenberg says his Lancer is easy on tyres, but is still hoping for mixed weather conditions to help ease tyre wear.

“To be honest I don’t mind the rain. It not only eases the tyre wear on our four-wheel drive Lancer, but it can also bring the more powerful Porsches back to our speed a little. In the dry they have a much greater top speed than ours, so hopefully the weather will do us a few favours.

“The problem is that it never seems to rain in Tasmania anymore!” he laughed.

Being a Burnie local, Vandenberg is also looking forward to the stages around his home town, where he knows the roads well and plans on pushing that little bit harder in front of his local fans.

“I guess they’re stages where we may have a bit of an advantage with our knowledge of the roads, so I’ll just have to try and make the most of it.”

Targa Tasmania will start in Launceston on April 15 and come to a grand finish at Hobart’s Wrest point on April 20.

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