While White has won six of his last seven starts in his Lamborghini, including Targa Adelaide on debut last year, he faces a fierce battle at the 2013/14 CAMS Australian Targa Championship season opener from Glenney, who finished second to him at the last event, Targa Tasmania in April, and would love to go one better at home.
The event will get underway with the InterContinental Targa Night Stage at the Adelaide Showgrounds on Wednesday night (August 21), but the event will be run and won across the following four days in the Adelaide Hills.
Glenney grew up on the tight twisting roads that border the South Australian capital, and knows the GT-R will be more competitive than the 2006 Subaru WRX STI he competed in last year.
"While I grew up on these roads they are actually the roads I’ve raced on least over the years, as I never did Classic Adelaide much, and last year we missed stages with a range of issues in an older car," Glenney said.
"I wouldn’t say we were confident (of a win) because Whitey is driving well and he has his car really well sorted.
"But our car this year should be good. Hopefully we have fixed the brake and gearbox issues that affected us in Targa Tasmania, and we are in a position where we can attack Whitey on more of the stages than we could then.
"It’s still an older car and we know that there is not much speed left in the car to develop. We are definitely entering with a view to doing well in the Championship, so it won’t be an all out attack.
"But with the gearbox and brake fixes we want to be able to push for longer. If we can keep the pressure on, that’s when the racing starts and that’s what we all love."
White is in no doubt that Glenney is the man to beat this year in Adelaide.
"Steve will be in the box seat for this one," White said. “He has a real home town advantage as he knows these roads so well.
"If he has got his car sorted to let him do what he does best, it will be a big chore to get ahead of him.
"That’s not to say that we won’t be having a crack, but he will definitely be hard to beat.
"But I think Jamie Vandenberg and Matty Rickards will be really quick as well.
"There’s no real tactic you can exploit in Targa these days, given the level of competition. You have to start very fast and then maintain that pace for four days – it’s about as complicated as that really.
"These are up there with the best rally stages in the land and it’s a better use of the roads this year. It’s one of the most enjoyable in the Targa Championship and I’m really looking forward to it."
Targa Director, Stuart Benson, believes the field will enjoy the new course.
"We are using some of the best roads in both directions this year, which makes it a really compact rally,” Benson said.
"When you add names like Tony Quinn to the mix with White, Glenney, Rickards, and Vandenberg, you have the makings of a superb contest.
"As always, as well as these boys in modern, you will see great action in all the classic cars and the showroom classes as well.
"We expect the night stage at the Showgrounds to be a big hit again. Adelaide people love their motorsport, so I know everyone at our end, from the organisers to the drivers, are really looking forward to putting on a good show for the fans.”
After the opening sprint around the showgrounds, the rally heads to the hills where competitors face a further 28 competitive stages across 250 competitive kilometres on closed roads, before finishing at The Parade in Norwood on Sunday afternoon (August 25).
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