Welcome return for Targa Rallysprint winner White
Friday 07 February, 2020
Photos: BAGR Photography.
Will White and Matthew Thompson have enjoyed their return to the 2020 Shannons Targa Rallysprint Series after taking out the series’ fourth round of the season.
In what was a thrilling contest, the 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 pilots were in second place for much of event, trailing the 2010 Evo of Steve Jones and Caleb Ash until the final run of the event.
Jones and Ash looked to have sealed the event, thanks to their three opening run wins, before heartbreak struck in the final run where an engine bay fire snuffed out their chance of a win.
The duo also ended the event with the night’s fastest run time, their 2:11 run more than two seconds faster than the next fastest in Troy Wilson and Toni Cameron.
It was a tough night out for the reigning champions in Wilson and Cameron, as the duo couldn’t find rhythm in the first run and retiring from the event on their third run after their Zestino 2006 Evo 9 suffered a blown turbo, putting a serious dent in their hopes of getting back-to-back titles.
Despite both Wilson and Jones bowed out with engine troubles, White was still a deserving winner having finished in the top three in every run as well as winning the final run of the evening.
Finishing in second place, just less than 10 seconds behind the eventual winners, was Daniel Chong and Tinah Zainal Abidin in their 2013 Evo X. Cody Harris and Jacob Zurzolo secured an all Mitsubishi podium after finishing six seconds behind.
The battle for third was much closer as opposed to the top two positions, as the 2004 Mitsubishi Evo 8MR edged out Matt O'Neill and Mandy Lister in the 2006 Subaru Impreza by just two tenths of a second after posting a faster time in the final run of the event.
In the Targa Cup, husband and wife team Jeffrey Foster and Catherine Foster won their first round of the year after finishing second to Chris Caruso and Heidi Rebecca in the three previous rounds.
With Caruso and Rebecca steering their Wyldcat Racing 2008 Dodge Viper ACR to a second place, they further cemented their sport at the top of the standings, while Damian Heaton and Elliot Schutte finished in third place not far behind the class leaders in their Superstars Framing & Memorabilia 2008 Evo X
The fifth round of the Shannons Targa Rallysprint Series takes place on Thursday 12 March.