Targa Tassie 2011 Results and Driver Drum

Celebrating the gruelling event's 20th anniversary in style, the ending was marked with a fitting champagne finish on the rooftop of Hobart's Wrest Point carpark. It was an exciting week of road racing thrills and thumping good fun. Here's the final race result listings; along with what some of the event's participants had to say on the race's final day:

Pure Tasmania Modern
1. Quinn - Tillett 2009 Nissan GT-R 20:14
2. Herridge - Searcy 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STi 23:53
3. Sims - Sims 2009 Nissan GT-R 25:51
4. Sullens - Barkley 2008 Subaru WRX Sti C-Spec 27:06
5. Vandenberg - Vandenberg 2009 Mazda RX-8 SP 27:08
6. Richards - Oliver 2011 Porsche GT2 RS 28:09

DEAN HERRIDGE: "It's been our aim for two years to win the championship, and we thought we'd be a chance in that, but it's sometimes hard to have our little Subaru battling against the Lambos and the GT-Rs. We thought a concentrated effort on something like the championship would be something that would be achievable. Overnight we decided we were happy with second, which is a good solid result, and today's been all about conserving our spot, and the last 24 hours it's been all about getting it home and winning the championship. It's still a thrill to win a championship, and I'm very proud to be second in what was arguably the most competitive Targa field that has ever been assembled."

TONY QUINN: "We had a bit of a noise in the front end and we were panicking over Mt Arrowsmith and starting to take it easy, but we had a buffer so we cruised through a bit. It's good that we had a good lead. This is beautiful to win this. It's something that I wanted to do since I knew it was the 20th year of the event. This year our win has been well deserved, and Naomi and I have come on in leaps and bounds this year. We've actually been leading every rally that we've been in this year, but we've just had mechanical problems. We're learning so much about the car, but there are still things we need to do to it to make it a better package. We haven't had much wet stuff to practice on, so I think we'll get better as a package."

DICK JOHNSON: "We would have been further up the list today, except that 3km into the first stage we broke a shock, so we've just had to nurse it to the end. I'm really, really impressed with the event and I've absolutely enjoyed it. It's great to get to the end - I've been to New Norfolk before, but not in the condition I'm in now. The car has been fine, except we broke a wheel early in the piece and a broken shock today that has made it like a pogo stick."

Shannons Classic Outright
1. Broadbent - Randell 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS 32:08
2. Cooper - Dann 1977 Holden Torana A9X 36:20
3. Ellis - Lacey 1977 Porsche 911 Carrera 3 36:59
4. Siddins - Ferguson 1970 Datsun 240Z 39:16
5. Freestone - Freestone 1948 Holden 215 47:18
6. Ullrich - Ullrich 1963 Jensen CV8 47:49

REX BROADBENT: "Not in a million years did I think I'd win it five times. I'm really happy with that record, and if you're going to win, you have to finish. It's sad that some of the people have been pushing really hard. I come into this event thinking about it as 40 races, and even if you win 39 of them, but fail to finish the 40th, you don't win. You have to finish every stage, so that's how I drive. I'm rarely the fastest, but consistency means I'm always there. As far as wins are concerned, the most recent is always the best, but this one has been memorable to be up against Walter Rohrl. That added an incredible amount of prestige to the event. In the rain he was clearly quicker, but we didn't have to push that hard because we already had a buffer. You feel very satisfied after this sort of an event to be where we are."

DAVID COOPER: "We've had overheating problems and the only way we could get the electric water pump to go was to hit it with a hammer. We couldn't turn the car off, it's boiling its head off - it's been hard work, trust me."

WALTER ROHRL: "As long as it was dry we have not chance at all to be competitive, but if it had rained for the whole event we were a chance to be in a good position. This is a quite competitive, hard and long event, hard for the car, but it's unique and there's nothing like it in the world. It has very special roads, nice roads, fast roads, blinding roads - that is the extra thing here in Targa Tasmania that makes it so unique."

Shannons Late Classic Handicap
1. Rodgers - Rodgers 1985 Porsche 911 Carrera 3.2 17:41
2. Ellis - Lacey 1977 Porsche 911 Carrera 3 22:49
3. Siddins - Ferguson 1970 Datsun 240Z 24:20
4. Ullrich - Ullrich 1963 Jensen CV8 24:41
5. Sutton - Kelly 1979 Mazda RX7 26:42
6. Morris - Molocznyk 1981 Alfa Romeo GTV6 29:04

DUANE RODGERS: "We've been coming to this event for seven years and this is the first time out of Early Modern and back to Late Classic. The car has been just dynamite. This event is just getting better and better. What Targa do with the event is just fantastic, the format couldn't be any better, and the organisation was just fantastic."

NIC ELLIS: "We bought this car as a Handicap contender and it's been pretty good. We can't keep up with the big guys, but it's still been very good. It's been great in the wet, and we've had a very enjoyable rally. It's totally different to the Escort I used to drive. It's like driving it in reverse - very tailey and just a lot more power. It has double the kilowatts of the Escort and it's just a good car. We'll be back again."

Shannons Early Classic Handicap
1. Waldron - Gregory 1955 FIAT Abarth 750 23:57
2. Freestone - Freestone 1948 Holden 215 24:05
3. White - Yelds 1961 Volvo 122S 26:15
4. Kent - Kent 1965 Ford Mustang 26:26
5. Batten - Batten 1961 Volvo PV544 30:19
6. Williamson - Patterson 1960 Austin Healey Sprite 37:03

JACK WALDRON: "We didn't realise until lunch on the final day there was only a second in it, so we tried very hard in the remaining stages. We started slowly on the first day, but we've just made up time along the way. It's a terrific thrill to be there and have won in this car. We've spent the last six months doing extra development on the car and we've spent 45 hours on the dynamometer. It's been a joy to drive in the wet and the fact that it turned wet yesterday is why we're here today. It's been much more predictable and crew-friendly in the conditions. It's a good well-balanced little car and they had some really remarkable performances back in the 1960s, so I'm not surprised we've done so well from that point of view - it's just been a long time coming."

PAUL FREESTONE: "I think I know how the ANZACs felt when they came home - it's the toughest thing to do this event in an old car. It's big deal for us."

Pure Tasmania Early Modern
1. Paris - Krause 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Time 33:10
2. Richmond - James-Wallace 2002 Nissan Skyline GT-R V Spec II N1 36:42
3. Shaw - Parish 2000 Mazda RX7 37:50
4. Ayers - Bolton 1997 Nismo 400R 37:51
5. Spada - Condon 1999 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI 40:47
6. Perini - Perini 2000 Porsche 911 GT3 41:31

BLAISE PARIS: "This is beyond expectations for us. You can't expect to come and do your first Targa Tasmania and win the thing. There's such a depth of talent in the Early Modern field this year. It was very competitive and it was absolutely beyond our expectations to win. We set the goal of coming here and finishing in the top 10, which would have been great, but it's great to win and we'll be back if we can get the sponsorship to do it next year."

Pure Tasmania Showroom
1. Reeves - Smyth 2009 Mazda3 MPS 26:54
2. Sinclair - Hayes 2009 Skoda Octavia RS 41:39
3. Mckay - Hailstone 2006 Mazda MX5 01:01:06
4. Silverthorn - Bentley 2007 Mazda MX5 01:12:02
5. Dodd - Challoner-Miles 2006 Mazda MX5 01:13:47
6. Shacklady - Anderson 2008 Mazda MX5 01:16:51

BRENDAN REEVES: "We've had a great run and to finish second outright on the first stage today was awesome. Our aim was to finish in the top 10 outright, so if we've finished fourth outright that is amazing considering the car we're in."

MIKE SINCLAIR: "We always wanted to try and keep Brendan honest, but our car is a lot less developed than his and it is a lot more standard, with a smaller engine. To keep within a second a kilometre of him was our aim, and we've pretty much done that. The interesting result for us is that the car is running inside the top 20 outright, and I think that if anyone had said before the event that an automatic Skoda station wagon was going to finish top 20 in Targa, then you'd probably get money on that."

TMR Performance 4WD Showroom
1. Millar - Dean 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X 35:52
2. Warren - Boyle 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX 42:13
3. Norton - Norton 2010 Subaru WRX STi 44:46
4. Burrowes - Burrowes 2008 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution X 49:29
5. Minshall - van der Mey 2005 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution IX 53:38
6. Coutts - Horrobin 2011 Volkswagen Golf R 58:36

SCOTT MILLAR: "Everything has gone really well for this us and it's all fallen into place. It's a huge relief and we're very, very happy, and maybe we might have won the championship as well. We didn't finish in Targa High Country, so it may depend on how the others finish."

Shannons Vintage Rallye
1. Lawson - Lawson 1938 Alfa Romeo 6C 2300B Mille Miglia Spyd 43:47
2. Clark - Richardson 1938 Dodge Speedster Special 48:27
3. Wilson - Pitt 1934 Jaguar SS Special 01:06:31
4. Clark - Clark 1937 Riley 12/4 'Brooklands' Special 01:21:41
5. Wilkinson - Wilkinson 1920 Frontenac Indianapolis 01:22:16
6. De Somerville - Kaye 1930 Oakland 8-101 01:45:23

JOHN LAWSON: "We've won this event six or seven times now, and four or five in this car. This is a factory car, it's a beautiful car and it's just reliable and it handles extremely well. It's not as powerful as some, but it handles well. It's a team car that has had a continuous racing history. I can't drive it that well in the wet, but it's a reliable and good car. It's just fantastic to get seven cars in the historic category, and I take my hat off to the organisers. It's just a great effort and we have to encourage the Vintage category and keep up the good field. Targa should be congratulated and we're very, very appreciative, and we'll come back year after year. We're delighted that Octagon have taken over Classic Adelaide. We'll be going there and I've got plenty of sons and two grandsons, and we'll be coming here as long as this event exists."

Shannons Legends
1. Rundell - Spiteri 1979 Jaguar XJS 01:12:56
2. Wallman - Lilley 1987 BMW M3 01:20:18
3. Osterberg - Hona 1976 Lancia Beta 01:20:53
4. Browne - Hunt 1970 Lancia Fulvia 1.6HF 01:34:44
5. Gascoigne - Gascoigne 1976 Ferrari 308 GTB 01:40:09
6. Caratti - Caratti 1986 Porsche 944 Turbo 01:41:18