The second round of the four-strong Australian Targa Championship series, Targa High Country, has been won by Queenslander Tony Quinn and co-driver Naomi Tillett in their Nissan R35 GTR; the pair emerging unscathed after many of tarmac rally’s big names and competitive cars succumbed to the fast, winding alpine roads.
The Whites, who have won the past five Targa events, held a 15sec lead to Quinn by the end of day one, but a knock in the front end and an overnight diff change spelled the first signs of trouble for the popular Lambo pairing, and their charge literally ground to a halt on the second stage of day two, enabling Quinn to take his first victory at the Victorian event, and the lead of the Modern Championship title.
Second for both the event and the Modern category went to Tasmanian husband and wife team Matt and Casey Close in their newly rebuilt Audi TTRS, with Bathurst and Targa legend Jim Richards and Barry Oliver taking third in a Porsche 911 GT2 RS.
The Classic Outright battle also saw an overnight lead change, with John Siddins and Darren Ferguson (Datsun 240Z) losing their overnight lead to the 1971 Ford Capri Perana of Donn Todd and Dean Tighe. The win also handed Todd the lead of the Classic Championship, with round one winners Craig Haysman and Neil Branum (Triumph TR7) relegated to second in the series, but thrilled to secure the final podium placing.
