Targa 2011
Entry:
Peter Jones Driver
Neil Andrews Co Driver
Car #147
Class 1, 1974 MK 1 Ford Escort 2 litre OHC.
Garry Grant and his Father Keith who had travelled from Nelson the day before picked Melvin my friend from Scotland and I up at Auckland airport on Sunday afternoon 23rd Oct, with the Alltrax service van and the Escort on the trailer behind. We travelled to a friend of mine in Papakura, where we over nighted. But not before we headed down to Murphys Irish bar in Drury to watch the All Blacks win the nail biting WC rugby final. The next afternoon we dropped off our Transport trailer at Carr Haslem yard for storage and transporting south. Escort and Van then proceeded to the Viaduct Basin Wharf in Auckland for weigh in, documentation and drivers briefing for Targa. The same place that was the official rugby fan zone the evening before. We met up with my Co Driver Neil Andrews from Waihi and other competitors we knew from last year. The cars were left at the Viaduct Basin Parc Ferme over night. We over nighted in Parnell about 10 min drive away. I slept fitfully that night excited and nervous about the 5 days and 37 special stages of tarmac rallying that lay ahead.
Day 1 Tuesday 25th Oct:
We left Auckland and headed towards Whangarei. On special stage 1 we started off with the camera car following us, it was a tight stage and very strange being followed so closely. The Escort unable to shake off the Subaru Legacy camera car, no surprises there. The weather was great and with the dry roads we kept increasing the pace, keeping the car on the road. Unfortunately stage 8 the last stage of the day was cancelled when a late model Evo Targa Touring car, huband and wife team went off the road and into a tree. They were taken to hospital, but thankfully no serious injuries were sustained. We were happy to get through the day in one piece, with car performing exceptionally well with the new engine and axle. The results at end of day one we found ourselves surprisingly running 7th overall in the Metalman Classic and 2nd in our class. We put it down to the roads being new to all the regular Targa competitors, eliminating that favourable edge they had. The extra horse power of the new engine and a bit of practicing I had been doing at Ruapuna.
Day 2 Wed 26th Oct
Day 2 dawned sunny and fine. And we were back into action again and by lunch time we were running 5th overall and 1st in class and retained that position all day. There were only 6 stages on day 2, we completed the final stage 14 and were touring, heading toward Springhill farm for the afternoons extravanza, the car having run faultlessly when ut of the blue our car broke down due a broken alternator wire. Quite a few competitors stopped to see what was our problem, which was very kind of them. Brice Briggs who supports and leases the RS1800 Escort to Vincent Bristow from England, towed us into Springhill farm service. Springhill farm is a 1000 acre farm owned by one of the sponsors for this years Targa. The farm has its own tarseal airstrip. The afternoon entertainment consisted of side by side drags of competitors cars, service vans and the touring cars. Not to Mention Steve Millen in his Nissan GT-R35 drag racing against Leigh Hopper in his Helicopter, (Leigh Hopper piloting the helicopter like he was born in it) check it out on U-Tube. Plus clay Pigeon shooting, a live band and hot food, not mention other aeroplanes doing acrobatics. It was a real petrol heads and boys toys afternoon. Once the afternoons entertainment was over we headed off towards Auckland around 7pm to Parc Ferme at Metal Mans Yard in Takanini.
Day 3 Thursday 27th Oct
Dawned wet and the first stage of the day, stage 15 in the Waikato was stage 1 last year. I attempted to drive as hard as I thought to be safe, this being my 3rd Targa event, but my first time to encounter rain of any significance. By the end of the day 3 we had dropped back to 7th overall in the Metalman classic, but still maintaining 1st in class. We serviced and over nighted in Taupo. Thanks to my Co driver Neil and my Service Crew Garry, Keith and Melvin, we were going well. But we still had 2 more arduous days to go.
Day 4 Friday 28th Oct
It seemed even wetter the 2nd stage of the day on stage 24 I tried to take a 90 degree corner too soon an ended up sliding around at a right angle to the road with the front wheels well into the grass. Managed to reverse the car back around and continued our progress. On stage 28 I came around a tight corner accelerated a little too hard and next thing the back of the car came around and we were heading off the road backwards. Just when I thought we were off into the scrub, there was a slight bang and suddenly I found the car facing the right direction so off we went. Looking back over the in car footage, the bang I heard in the spin turned out to be the tight corner sign post that the middle of our back bumper came into contact with. How lucky was that, it hardly marked the bumper. End of the day service in Palmerston North was a very wet experience for the guys. Our position at the end of Day 4, was still 7th overall and 1st in class. I thought for sure we would have dropped back further.
Day 5 Sat 29th Oct.
The weather was fine and at the start of the day I had a 1 minute lead over my next rival in my class the the 500 BHP V8 powered Chrysler Valiant Charger. I backed off the pace thinking by just trying driving steady I could maintain my position. A fatal mistake, the stages were fast and flowing and by lunch break we were 1 min behind the Charger. I went harder in the afternoon but I was unable make any head way over the charger who just pulled away from me further along with some of my other rivals I had been previously beating. At the end of the day 5 and the end of the rally we had slipped back to 10th Overall in the Metalman Classic and 2nd overall in Class. We headed off to Havelock North town centre to be greeted by a large contingent of locals and to drive over the finish line and receive our finishers medals. My 3rd finishers medal in 3 Targa’s.
The next morning Sun 30th Oct we attended the prize giving breakfast at the Hastings Town Hall. Before picking up our car trailer that had been transported down to Napier from Auckland. Loaded the trusty old Escort on and headed off to Wellington to catch the ferry.
A big thanks to my Co driver Neil, my service crew Melvin , Keith and Garry.
Also a big thanks to Garry Grant of Alltrax Race and Rally for the preparation of my Targa Escort and keeping the car running smoothely through out the rally. Also a thanks to Bruce Farley who spectated for most of the rally, giving me feed back on what he saw, gave me encouragement and dined with us on several evenings.
The Targa is no doubt one of the most exciting motorsport events in New Zealand. Each one I have entered I have learnt more each time. I am proud to show the North Islanders that we South Islanders are capable of competing against them and beating them.
In closing my final word is to say, always go hard all the way to the end.
Targa Bambina next year coming up on the 16th March 2012, watch this space.
Regards
Peter Jones
These images were taken last night around 6:30pm. 
