Tarmac: Les Walkden Rallying Targa Tasmania final summary

Longhurst finishes strongly in Targa Tasmania

Les Walkden Rallying's Tony Longhurst has finished Targa Tasmania in 11th place, moving further up the leader board on the final day of the six-day tarmac classic.

Driving a 2008 Subaru Impreza WRX STI, Longhurst and co-driver, Linda Long, punctured a tyre on the first day of the event, which had to be replaced, costing them two minutes in time penalties. Had it not been for the penalty, they would have finished the event in seventh place.

The final day of Targa Tasmania took crews from Strahan to Hobart, over long and challenging stages such as Mount Arrowsmith and Strahan.

Longhurst was on his game from the outset, taking the second quickest time in wet conditions on the day's second test, showing what might have been had the rain arrived earlier in the event.

"We have to be happy with the result," a philosophical Longhurst said. "The Subaru Impreza WRX STI has performed brilliantly for the entire event.

"The performance of the car has been knocked around somewhat by the change in rules that sees us having to run 98 octane fuel, but we've done the best that we could.

"For the first event that we've done in this car, I think it's performed remarkably well. The Les Walkden Rallying boys have done a great job in preparing it, and I can't wait for the next outing."

At the head of the field, overnight leader, Kevin Weeks, crashed his Lamborghini early on, and Jason White, also in a Lamborghini, dropped over four minutes on the morning's stages with brake problems.

This allowed the Nissan GTR of Tony Quinn to take his first Targa victory, six minutes ahead of his nearest rival.

-credit: lwr