Clock checker ticks all boxes

FOR Far North Queensland motorsport enthusiast Lara Wilde taking part in a Targa Australia event had always been on her bucket list.

Known for announcing at Springmount Raceway and the burnout competitions in Cairns, Ms Wilde volunteered at Targa Great Barrier Reef on time control.

She said being positioned at the start line was an unforgettable experience.

“I think I have one of the best jobs at Targa in that I get to get up close and personal with every single car and the drivers,” she said.

“Targa Tasmania has been on my bucket list of things to do for years and then what are the chances they brought it to me?

“It’s really amazing, I’ve worked with a lot of different motorsports all over the place and … Targa is such a welloiled machine.”

Ms Wilde, who also runs Wilde Drive Facebook page sharing her love of cars, adventures on the road and tips to stay safe behind the wheel, said she was impressed by the variety of cars in the field.

“It’s really great to see the mix of local competitors and then competitors from all over Australia,” she said.

“You’d think that our local guys would have an unfair advantage because they’ll know the roads and go flat out, but good driving is good driving.

“Also the variety of cars is massive.

“The Volvo that’s doing really good out there, if you looked at that there’s no way you would think that would be a fast car.”

Ms Wilde said Targa gave drivers the chance to push their cars to the limit in a safe environment.

“When you’re racing, it’s almost like you get it out of your system in a safe, controlled environment and you’re not being a hoon,” she said.

“This is the safest way to go and explore your car’s capacity and have fun.”