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Dynamic Duo win Quit Targa SW

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Posted on May 22, 2017 Tags:   



Images: Tim Allott

Pacesetters Throughout

WILL WHITE and MATT THOMPSON have clinched the 2017 Quit Targa South West Cup, with a lead of just under a minute.

Last year’s Quit Targa Cup winners set the pace early on Saturday by clocking the fastest time on 13 of the 14 stages, in and around picturesque Pemberton and Manjimup.   They kept at bay Targa veterans Brendan Templeman and Peter Howlett in the # 96 car.   Sunday’s shorter and tighter stages were also kind to the winning pair – who crossed the final finish line in their Store Local Mitsubishi Evo 9  – taking out all but two of the day’s seven stages.

Matt Thomson, White’s co-driver of six years, said preparation was the key to their success this year.    “Nothing is as easy as it looks when it comes to rally,” he said.    “It was a case of making sure everything comes together on the day, and getting through without the breakages we had last year.    We came very prepared this year.“    The team is now focusing onto the GT Fabrication Targa Bunbury Sprint June 24-25, and then Targa West August 10-13.

Success for GTi Racing

Will and Matt’s service crew – GTi Racing – had a successful weekend with three out of their four teams on podium.    They included Classic Competition outright winners Simon Gunson and Murray Armenti (right).    “It was a great result for the team overall,” Simon said.    Despite clinching five stage wins in their Datsun 240z on the Sunday, Bruce Lake and Peter Hall had to settle for second, ending the event 1 minute 43 seconds behind Gunson and Armenti’s GTI Performance Ford Capri Perana.

First time Targa South West competitors Nick Bailey and Kyle O’Neil (left) were surprised when they managed to keep their VW GTi Golf 13 seconds ahead of regulars Sharon Gunson and Glenys Stagoll in a MTA-supported Mitsubishi Evo 7 to win the Challenge category.

“We didn’t expect to actually be in the real shiny end of the outright of Challenge class – that was a bit of a bonus,” Nick said.   “We had a couple of hairy moments where we put the car into a ditch at the last turn of the Gloucester stage, but were able to motor out of it.    We managed to keep it tight and on the good stuff the whole time.

Final results

Competition Modern

Will White and Matt Thompson (Mitsubishi Evo 9) 46:04 mins

Templeman and Howlett (Mitsubishi Evo 8) 46:55 mins
Renshaw and McDonald (Holden VE SSV Ute) 48:26 mins

Competition Classic
Simon Gunson and Armenti (Ford Capri Perana) 48:11 mins
Lake and Hall (Datsun 240z) 49:53 mins
Lingford and Curtis (Datsun 240z) 50:16 mins

Challenge Modern
Nick Bailey and Kyle O’Neil (VW Golf GTi) 56:48 mins
Gunson and Stagoll (Mitsubishi Evo 7) 57:01 mins
Tudor and Bird (Porsche Cayman) 57:15 mins

Challenge Classic
Gan and Levene (Porsche 911SC) 60:46 mins
Blakers and Deighton (Holden Torana A9X) 62:45 mins

Click on www.targawest.com.au
And check out video highlight packages on www.facebook.com/targawest

Media contact: Dianne Bortoletto,

Pronto PR, 0439 997 075,

dianne@prontopr.com.au

EDITED by AC

 

 

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