Inkster oddson favourite
THE Crown Range will be closed today from 12.55pm to 5.25pm for the 2018 Targa New Zealand tarmac motor rally cars to roar through.
The annual multiday marathon event has returned to the South Island for only the second time in its 24year history. It started in Invercargill on Tuesday and takes in over 600km of closed special stages through Southland and Otago before a ceremonial finish in Queenstown tonight.
The road closure will be in effect from the Gibbston Highway through to Cardrona and spectators must be parked at the designated viewing spots before 12.55pm and will not be able to leave before 5.25pm.
WRC driver Hayden Paddon will be doing a promotional run in his 2018 New Zealand Rally Championshipwinning Hyundai i20 AP4 car on gravel tyres, while circuit racing great Greg Murphy will be roaring through in a HSV Camaro. Vintage cars and the Targa Tour noncompetition cars will also precede the rally entrants.
Favourites to claim their fifth consecutive win in the event are South Auckland pair Glenn Inkster and co driver Spencer Winn in their Mitsubishi Evo 8. Highlands Motorsport Park owner Tony Quinn is back with new codriver Kieran Anstis and a late model Porsche GT3. Also keep an eye out for former event winners Martin Dippie and Jona Grant, of Dunedin, also in a Porsche GT3, plus Gore rally driver Derek Ayson in his 2016 Silver Fern Rallywinning 1981 Ford Escort.
The ceremonial finish chute will be on
Queenstown’s Rees St outside Eichardt’s Hotel between 4.30pm and 6.30pm.