TWO Perth crews showed exceptional pace in one of Australia’s top tarmac rallies last weekend, filling two podium places in Tasmania’s Targa Wrest Point.
Subaru driver and Malaga resident Dean Herridge claimed second place, while Steve Jones took third place in his Nissan GT-R.
Midway through the two-day, 210km event in the Hobart region, it looked as if Herridge and co-driver Chris Murphy might win.
They had gone ahead of the Lamborghini Gallardo Type R of Burnie driver Jason White, which had developed engine problems early in the piece, and were leading the 150-strong field.
But the power of the Italian car’s V10 engine, even in diminished form, was too much for the Subaru and White recovered to finally win by 24 seconds.
Herridge was delighted with his second place.
“We pushed really hard, driving at World Rally Championship pace,” he said.
The other Perth pairing of Steve Jones and Ben Searcy was third outright in their Nissan GT-R, 11 seconds clear of Tony Quinn, who won Targa Tasmania in 2009.