INKSTER & WINN HOLD EARLY TARGA BAMBINA LEAD

Glenn Inkster and co-driver Spencer WinnOverall and Instra.com Allcomers 4WD class leaders after the first day of competition at the 2015 Targa Bambina event were Glenn Inkster from Patumahoe and co-driver Spencer Winn from Howick in their Ecolight Mitsubishi Evo 8 Reigning Targa New Zealand title holders and recent Metalman Targa Sprint event winners Glenn Inkster and Spencer Winn (Mitsubishi Evo 8) have taken an early overall lead in this year's three-day Targa Bambina event from Auckland to Rotorua.

At the end of the first day of competition at Whitianga on the Coromandel Peninsula this evening, the pair - from Patumahoe near Pukekohe and Howick respectively - had a lead of just under a minute over fellow Mitsubishi Evo runners Jason Gill and Mark Robinson with fellow Aucklanders Nic de Waal and Tom Grooten three minutes back in third place in their Subaru Impreza WRX.

Bar a fright at the start when his car's starter motor failed, Inkster said he and Winn had had a good day, their goal to keep the car shiny side up in the cool, rain-lashed conditions.

"Getting to the end here, really was it today, " he said. "We knew we were going to be there or thereabouts so it wasn't about pushing too hard in the treacherous conditions."

Leigh Hopper and new co-driver Ben Grooten put up a sterling fight early on, dead-heating with Inkster and Winn on the second stage and winning the third. But driveline and engine issues then an off in Stage 4 saw their Subaru WRX Impreza on the trailer before the event left the northern Waikato.
Bevan Claridge and Campbell Tannockleaders of the Classic 2WD class were Holden Commodore V8 pair Bevan Claridge and Campbell Tannock from Foxton.

The big story in the Metalman Classic 2WD class was the pace of Holden Commodore driver Bevan Claridge and his co-driver Campbell Tannock, who arrived in Whitianga with a lead of 21 seconds over usual class pace-setters, Mark and Chris Kirk-Burnnand in their BMW M3.

Claridge and Tannock won the opening stage from the classic Ford Mustang V8 of fellow Manawatu farmer Jason Easton and his co-driver Campbell Ward with Mark and Chris Kirk-Burnnand fifth.

They then followed home Mark and Chris in the next four stages before a second class win in the sixth stage, another second on the seventh and a fourth on the final for a confidence-boosting early class lead.

Also impressing in a V8-engined car were Taranaki husband and wife Ross & Carmel Graham. The Grahams topped the Instra.com Modern 2WD  Husband and wife Ross and Carmel GrahamLeading the Instra.com Modern 2WD class and fourth overall were husband and wife Ross and Carmel Graham in their Holden Torana A9X V8. class in four of the eight stages to enjoy a lead of over a minute-and-a-half over the late model BMW M3 of Perth-based Kiwi Robert Darrington and David Abetz and the Nissan SR20 turbo-powered BMW Compact of Rotorua pair Mike Lea and Grant Handley.

The Grahams also ended the day fourth overall and first two-wheel-drive car, an amazing achievement given the wet, slippery conditions.

The three-day Targa Bambina event continues tomorrow with more stages on the Coromandel Peninsula and in and around Matamata before an overnight stop in Rotorua and final day west of Tokoroa then south of Rotorua.

Targa New Zealand events are organised with the support of sponsors Ecolight, Federal tyres, Global Security, Instra Corporation, Kids In Cars, Metalman, NZ Classic Car magazine, Race Brakes, TeamTalk, TrackIt, VTNZ. and Woolrest Biomag.

2015 Targa Bambina - Day 1  Auckland-Whitianga

Overall

1. Glenn Inkster/Spencer Winn (2000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) 01:04:30

2. Jason Gill/Mark  Robinson (2005 Mitsubishi Evo9GT) 01:05:27

3. Nic de Waal/Tom Grooten (2002 Subaru Impreza WRX) 01:07:30

4. Ross Graham/Carmel Graham (1977 Holden Torana) 01:08:49

5. Brian Green/Fleur Pedersen (2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 01:10:09

6. Robert Darrington/David Abetz (2002 BMW E46) 01:10:36

7. Mike Lea/Grant Handley (1996 BMW 318i) 01:10:41

8. Simon Clark/Richard  Somerville (2007 BMW M3) 01:11:07

9. Bevan Claridge/Campbell Tannock (1992 Holden Commodore) 01:11:09

10. Mark Kirk-Burnnand/Chris Kirk-Burnnand (1987 BMW M3) 01:11:30

Instra.com Allcomers 4WD

1. Glenn Inkster/Spencer Winn (2000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 8) 01:04:30

2. Jason Gill/Mark Robinson (2005 Mitsubishi Evo9GT) 01:05:27

3. Nic de Waal/Tom Grooten (2002 Subaru Impreza WRX) 01:07:30

4. Brian Green/Fleur Pedersen (2010 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo X RS) 01:10:09

5. Graeme Coley/Graham Browne (2001 Audi RS4) 01:13:30

6. Jeff McCandless/Marcella Mumm (2010 Subaru WRX STi) 00:07:35

Metalman Classic 2WD

1. Bevan Claridge/Campbell Tannock (1992 Holden Commodore) 01:11:09

2. Mark Kirk-Burnnand/Chris Kirk-Burnnand (1987 BMW M3) 01:11:30

3. Jason Easton/Campbell Ward (1966 Ford Mustang Notchback) 01:13:03

4. Barry Kirk Burnnand/Dave O'Carroll (1989 BMW M3) 01:13:24

5. Carl Kirk-Burnnand/Scott Hay (1991 BMW 325i) 01:15:01

6. Grant & Roman Harrington (1986 BMW E30 M3) 01:18:42

Instra.com Modern 2WD

1. Ross & Carmel Graham (1977 Holden  Torana) 01:08:49

2. Robert Darrington/David Abetz (2002 BMW  E46) 01:10:36

3. Mike Lea/Grant Handley (1996 BMW 318i) 01:10:41

4. Simon Clark/Richard  Somerville (2007 BMW M3) 01:11:07

5. Anthony Butler/Jo Butler (1973 Holden Cheetah) 01:12:54

6. Matt Todd/Dan Reichenbach (2008 BMW M3) 01:14:28

Prepared by Ross MacKay FAST COMPANY on behalf of Targa NZ, photo credit Ben and Graham Hughes & Owen de Mooy PROSHOTZ Photography. To find out more about the various Targa events go to the Targa NZ website at www.targa.co.nz