Tasmanians Jason White and his navigator uncle John drove the perfect event to win Targa Tasmania for the sixth time.
They are now just two short of the record of eight victories in the six-day tarmac rally held by touring car legend Jim Richards and his Tasmanian co-driver Barry Oliver.
The Whites led for all but one of last week’s 35 stages in their 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme, having previously won in a Nissan GT-R in 2005 and four times previously this decade in Lamborghinis.
Despite losing some time in Saturday’s final six stages south of Hobart, the Whites ran out winners by 34 seconds over Michael Pritchard and Gary Mourant in another Dodge Viper.
Fortunately, the Whites had built a sufficient time buffer over the preceding five days and were able to conserve their car and tyres in the run to the finish.
Last year’s Targa champions, Matt Close and Cameron Reeves, in a Porsche GT3 RS, could not match the overall speed of the Dodges this year and placed third, one minute, 16 seconds behind the Whites.
As well as the outright positions, the trio also filled the GT2 competition podium, while Richards and Oliver – likewise in a Porsche GT3 RS this year – finished ninth in that premier class and 19th overall.
“We were just so lucky with the way it all played out – it was just incredible,” Jason White said. “We had to replace a diff after day one – you only get one opportunity to work on your car and we used ours up very early.
“We were just so lucky it happened after the George Town street stage [in Tasmania’s north], otherwise we would have been stranded somewhere in the wilderness with a broken diff. You make your own luck, so it’s nice to get a reward.
“I’ve done Targa 20 times and we’ve won it six times – and had it taken away from us when we were leading as many times. So you can never feel like you’ve got it in the bag.
“We’re well aware of how cruel Targa can be, so you never count your chickens until you’re at the finish. It’s a great feeling this year.
“John (co-driver) is keen to keep going until he turns 70. I think he’d like to equal Jim Richards’ record of eight wins and maybe go one more.
“It’s a year at a time for now, but these are the type of things which definitely spur you on to come back for more.”
Queenslanders Jon and Gina Siddins won the Classic GT competition for the second straight year in their 1970 Datsun 240Z and amazingly finished ninth overall in the 47-year-old car.
The Siddins’ enjoyed a margin of nine minutes, 25 seconds over South Australians Craig Haysman and Julie Boorman in the same 1979 Triumph TR7 V8, in which they had won the class in 2015.
“We can’t believe how well we’ve done overall – the car’s had a few issues, but we’ve still had a great event,” Siddins said. “We never worry about what the other crews are doing – our aim is just to get through the stages as well as we can.
“The only difference this year has been that it was Gina’s second event and she was just brilliant calling the corners compared to her first time last year. Our teamwork was just so good, which enabled us to win [Classic GT] by the margin we did.”
West Australians Michael and Daniel Bray were third in Classic GT in a Holden Torana.
Angus Kennard and Ian Wheeler led the GT4 competition from midway through day three in their 2015 Nissan GT-R and eventually finished four minutes, 38 seconds ahead of Josh Hilton and Rodney Vanderpoel in another GT-R.
“I’ve won my category a couple of times before, but this is certainly the most enjoyable one,” Kennard said. “This has been my biggest winning margin, but we didn’t want to push it on the last day just to move up the outright placings.
“For us it’s more important to win GT4.”
Barrie Smith in an Audi TT RS was third in GT4 after Crichton Lewis crashed his Subaru with just three stages left in the event.
Peter and Sari Ullrich dominated the Classic section in a 1963 Jensen CV8, taking victory by six minutes over the Ferrari of David Gilliver and Nigel Shellshear, with Richard Woodward and Neil Gibson third in a Holden Monaro.
Adam Kaplan and Aleshia Penney produced a start to finish win in Early Modern, three and a half minutes ahead Jon Mitchell and Joshua Sutcliffe (Subaru), with Guy and John Lilleyman third in a Mitsubishi, a further three minutes back.
Jeff Morton and Dennis Neagle won GT Sports Trophy in a Lotus Exige, while brothers Darryl and Peter Marshall made it consecutive Trophy wins in their Ford Falcon Ute.
2017 Targa Tasmania results (provisional)
OVERALL
1. Jason White/John White, 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme
2. Michael Pritchard/Gary Mourant, 2016 Dodge Viper ACR, +34s
3. Matt Close/Cameron Reeves, 2015 Porsche GT3, +1m16s
4. Paul Stokell/Jenny Cole, 2014 Lotus Exige, +7m54s
5. Tony Quinn/Naomi Tillett, Porsche GT3, +8m43s
6. Craig Dean/Kate Catford, 2015 Ford Mustang Shelby GT, +8m48s
7. Tim Hendy/Julie Winton-Monet, 2016 Porsche GT4, +10m28s
8. Angus Kennard/Ian Wheeler, 2015 Nissan GTR, +11m05s
9. Jon Siddins/Gina Siddins, 1970 Datsun 240Z, +11m45s
10. Adam Kaplan/Aleshia Penney, 2004 BMW M3 CSL, +12m37s
WREST POINT GT2
1. Jason White/John White, 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Extreme
2. Michael Pritchard/Gary Mourant, 2016 Dodge Viper ACR, +34s
3. Matt Close/Cameron Reeves, 2015 Porsche GT3, +1m16s
RDA BRAKES GT4
1. Angus Kennard/Ian Wheeler, 2015 Nissan GTR
2. Joshua Hilton/Rodney Vanderpoel, 2016 Nissan GTR R35, +4m38s
3. Barrie Smith/Jan Smith, 2010 Audi TT RS, +6m48s
SHANNONS CLASSIC
1. Peter Ullrich/Sari Ullrich, 1963 Jensen CV8
2. David Gilliver/Nigel Shellshear, 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS, +6m18s
3. Richard Woodward/Neil Gibson, 1969 Holden Monaro GTS, +6m33s
SHANNONS CLASSIC GT
1. Jon Siddins/Gina Siddins, 1970 Datsun 240Z,
2. Craig Haysman/Julie Boorman, 1979 Triumph TR7 V8, +9m25s
3. Michael Bray/Daniel Bray, 1975 Holden Torana, +13m07s
DUTTONS GARAGE EARLY MODERN
1. Adam Kaplan/Aleshia Penney, 2004 BMW M3 CSL
2. Jon Mitchell/Joshua Sutclife, 2006 Subaru S204, +3m32s
3. Guy Lilleyman/John Lilleyman, 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo, +6m44s
COUNTRY CLUB GT SPORTS TROPHY
1. Jeff Morton/Dennis Neagle, 2017 Lotus Exige
2. Jeff Beable/Nerida Beable, 2000 Nissan Skyline, +10m28s
3. Martin Duursma/Richard Wodhams, 2013 Lotus Exige S V6, +13m56s
TSD TROPHY
1. Darryl Marshall/Peter Marshall, 2002 Ford Falcon Ute Pursuit 250, 85 points
=2. Christopher Waldock/Christine Kirby, 2016 Jaguar F-Type SVR AWD, 191 points
=2. Peter Lucas/Angela Coradine, 1984 Porsche Carrera, 191 points