TARGA TALES
THREE TEAMS: ONCE BITTEN, TWICE AS KEEN!
Put balaclava on, put Hans device on, put helmet on, attach Hans device to helmet. Climb into the car through the roll cage, get comfy, insert headphone jack into the helmet, suck in the gut, attach both of the harness straps over your legs, release gut, pull the (untwisted) shoulder straps over the Hans device, making sure they are in the grooves, attach, tighten, tighten, tighten.
This is the ritual that all drivers and co-drivers have to go through when preparing to race. However, things are different when you are the co-driver, because it’s at that point that your life is now in the hands of the person next to you. You do your part in providing instruction regarding cautions and turns, etc., but ultimately you are now strapped to a four-wheeled rocket controlled by the two hands and two feet of the driver. As the co-driver of the 1982 Isuzu Gemini ZZT for the past two Targa rallies, I know that I am by no means the first person to sit on that side of the car and part ways with any sense of physical safety and prepare for a fast ride. ‘Betty’, as she is affectionately known by Team Masterbuilt, has been racing around the roads and tracks of New Zealand since 1983. She was one of only three Isuzu Zzt-model Geminis fitted with a twin-cam, Bosch fuel-injected 1800 engine ever brought into New Zealand.
Racing pedigree
She started her racing career as a Group A saloon car and has participated in many international and national race series, including the Rothman and Targa rallies. It’s fair to say that there are not many original parts left on the Gemini. But there is a long list of people who regret selling it and who also have many wonderful stories to share about their achievements and memories of the car. We’ll get to these in a moment.
The achievements haven’t stopped for the plucky Gemini. It was the current owner and driver Paddy O’donnell, along with myself (Lewis Gardner) as co-driver, and Garth Mcgregor as service crew, who took first place in the Group A 2WD Classic category at Targa Hawkes Bay 2019. With that win under our belts, it was time to prepare for the main event: the Targa New Zealand 2019. However, we were not prepared for what was going to happen!
Smokey end
Betty underwent a few modifications, both in and out of the car. After a testing day, she was set and looking good. As for the Team Masterbuilt, Garth Mcgregor decided that he was done being service crew and got back into the driving seat of his XU-1 Torana. They ran well and made it to the end despite a gearbox problem. With Garth occupied, in stepped the Swiss Army knife of fathers-inlaw, Theo Huijs, as well as the very talented Blair Gray from Kooter Motorsport in Whanganui. Everything was going great with the registry and scrutineering, right up until the point that it sounded like we were running on three cylinders. This continued to plague us at 8am the next day as we lined up to the starting line, leaving a thick cloud of what appeared to be burning oil wafting through the paddock. The problems seemed to fade after the car had a chance to stretch its legs on the first stage.
But just about a third of the way into stage two, things went incredibly wrong! Smoke through the vents, loss of power, and we were in trouble. A quick call was made to the service crew. They were there in a jiffy, and with the car tied down tight on the trailer we embarked on the three-and-a-half-hour drive back to Whanganui. It was a journey full of woe, self-pity, and brainstorming, but what never faded was our determination to get back into the race. We all had thoughts about calling it a day, but no one ever said it aloud, so the grit and pure willpower continued on. We went straight to Kooter Motorsport, bypassing our homes, and worked well into the night. We discovered that a blown main bearing, destroyed con rod, and damaged crank were the causes of our nightmare.
Back and running
Due to some monumental efforts by the team at
Roy Eaton Motors, the engine was rebuilt and ready to go back in the car within the day! This meant that, as 8.30pm came along, we were back at Kooter Motorsport, ready to breathe life back into Betty. The plan was to then take the overnight journey to New Plymouth and grab a few hours of sleep in our unoccupied Airbnb.
It was now 1am, and things had not gone smoothly, but the engine was in and secure. By this point hopes and enthusiasm were starting to falter but we continued on.
Then 3.30am rolled along, and we saw Blair throw down a spanner. We were done. There was no way of getting to the starting line in time, and it would have been unsafe to do so. Wounds had been sustained but the determination (while battered) still lived on.
By 8am, and the car was on its way to Palmerston North for an engine-control unit (ECU) remapping and a go on the dyno. Eureka! The team scrambled and the tenacious Gemini was back and running for the last two sections of the day. What this ultimately meant was that we were able to drive into Whanganui with heads held high. We had battled the odds and we drove into our home town with our understanding and neglected wives waiting to congratulate us for making it. I am pleased to say that that was the end of the serious problems; a little bit of gearbox oil to stop it from jumping out of third was as bad as it got.
She started her racing career as a Group A saloon car and has participated in many international and national race series, including the Rothman and Targa rallies
The Targa was not without woes for other drivers.
On the last two days, an Impreza rolled several times down an embankment and a BMW landed on its head. But altogether the event was run by a great team at Ultimate Rally Group, with Peter Martin being the everpresent and energetic ringleader. Camaraderie had been truly cemented among teammates and fellow competitors, so an upbeat vibe was felt all around.
As for our trusty steed, Betty, you might be aware of the Holden Gemini (Australia), Opel Kadett (Europe), or Opel NM (America), but the Isuzu Gemini is a rare breed. The history of the Isuzu Gemini is one that dates back to 1983. Dennis Roderick and Glen Mcintyre were the first teams to get behind the wheel and instantly achieved success in the first Nissan Mobil Wellington 500 street race by achieving first in class and sixth overall. William Mcneil and Ian Schuler took over the driving in 1986 and continued to compete in various Wellington rallies and circuit races and the New Zealand Group A and Production Saloon series 1986, ’87, and ’88.
Ian Schuler reckoned that it was the safest car he had ever driven. The Gemini became so recognizable around the race events of New Zealand that she went on to gain Galaxy cheese sponsorship and have this as part of her livery, and she also shared a racetrack with legends Peter Brock and Allan Grice.
With all that history, it is an honour to add my name to the list of co-drivers who have won a prize in Betty, and with next year in mind we aim to avoid more calamity and try for first in class once again.
The Gemini became so recognizable around the race events of New Zealand that she went on to gain Galaxy cheese sponsorship and have this as part of her livery, and she also shared a racetrack with legends Peter Brock and Allan Grice