Leading the 2017 Targa Rotorua event after the first day are 2016 winners Leigh Hopper and co-driver Michael Goudie (Subaru WRX). Fast Company/Ben Hughes/ProShotz
Leading the 2017 Targa Rotorua event after the first day are 2016 winners Leigh Hopper and co-driver Michael Goudie (Subaru WRX). Fast Company/Ben Hughes/ProShotz
All is still to drive for at the Targa New Zealand tarmac rally in Rotorua after the first day of competition.
Defending Targa Rotorua title holder and four time winner Leigh Hopper and co-driver Michael Goudie (Subaru WRX) have a narrow lead at the end of first day action todayafter a battle royal with fellow Aucklanders Jason Gill and co-driver Mark Robinson (Mitsubishi Evo 9).
Each pairing claimed three stage wins a piece - the difference at the end of a high stakes day just 36.3s.
Third overall, after a total of 195km of closed special stages and 243km of transport stages in between, are Martin Dippie and co-driver Jona Grant from Dunedin in Dippie's late model Porsche GT3 RS. Fellow former Targa New Zealand event winner Tony Quinn and co-driver Naomi Tillet are fourth in Quinn's similar car.
Debuting his new Porsche GT3 RS was Tony Quinn and co-driver Naomi Tillett. Fast Company/Ben Hughes/ProShotz
Much was made of circuit owning entrepreneur Quinn's decision to move to the 2WD Porsche after years dominating the main Targa NZ event in a 4WD Nissan GT-R. But Hopper and Gill showed today that there is plenty of life left in the rally based turbocharged four cylinder Subarus and Mitsubishis.
Back in Rotorua after stages south-west of the city in the morning and then to South Waikato in the afternoon Gill had an almost 2m 30s buffer on Dippie and Grant with Quinn and Tillett a further 1m 30s behind.
Fifth overall was Perth based Kiwi and Targa regular Robert Darrington and co-driver David Abetz in Darrington's BMW M3 while Ross Graham and co-driver Matthew Merwood from New Plymouth finished sixth in the first V8 engined machine - Graham's Holden Torana A9X.
Meanwhile Mark and father Chris Kirk-Burnnand from Wellington lead the Metalman Classic 2WD class after the first day, ending up seventh overall.
Leading the Metalman Classic 2WD class is Mark and Chris Burnnand (BMW M3). Fast Company/Ben Hughes/ProShotz
The other stage winner today was Mike Lea and co-driver Grant Handley in Lea's Nissan SR20 turbo-powered BMW Compact.
The pair beat Dippie, Gill and Hopper in the 25.49km Rollett Rd stage north of Tokoroa after lunch, then finished third behind the 4WDs of Gill and Hopper but still ahead of Dippie in the next fastest 2WD car.
Bay of Plenty drivers' Maurice Shapley and co-driver Kane Malasch (Holden Monaro) and Rick Finucane and co-driver Derek White (Toyota MR2) had mixed first days, finishing 28th and 34th respectively.
The event continues tomorrow with a further five stages in and around Rotorua. The last leg on Sunday will include a section along Paradise Valley Rd with the ceremonial finish at 3.30pm tomorrow at the Novotel Hotel.
More 2017 Targa New Zealand tarmac rally information here:
2017 Targa Rotorua results (Day 1 of 2) Saturday 18 March
Overall:
1. Leigh Hopper/Michael Goudie (Subaru WRX) 1:27:27.0 2. Jason Gill/Mark Robinson (Mitsubishi Evo) +36.3 3. Martin Dippie/Jona Grant (Porsche GT3 RS) +2:27.6 4. Tony Quinn/Naomi Tillett (Porsche GT3 RS) +4:08.2 5. Robert Darrington/David Abetz (BMW M3) +4:47.8 6. Ross Graham/Matthew Merwood (Holden Torana A9X) +5:58.4 7. Mark & Chris Kirk-Burnnand (BMW M3) +6:26.5 8. Tom & Ben Grooten (Toyota Starlet) +6:48.3 9. Mike Lea/Grant Handley (BMW Compact) +6:49.0 10. David Rogers/Aidan Kelly (Mitsubishi Evo) +6:49.7
