TARMAC: Peter Brock enters Targa Tasmania

Brock lines up in Daytona Coupe for 15th anniversary Targa Tasmania

Unable to resist the temptation to return to the steering wheel of a high performance machine, ninetime Bathurst champion Peter Brock will line up in this year's 15th anniversary Targa Tasmania tarmac rally on April 25 to 30.

Brock, who last competed in the event in a Holden Monaro in 2004, will drive a 2000 model Daytona Coupe over the six days of competition with Melbourne motorcycling identity Mick Hone alongside in the navigator's seat.

An Australian designed limited production car, the Daytona Coupe is the brainchild of MoTec electronics chief Richard Bendell, who had the cars built based on a modern interpretation of the 1965 Shelby Daytona, which dominated the W orld Sports Car Championship that year.

Using the 5.7litre V8 engine and drive train from the Holden Monaro, 10 versions have been built in Melbourne and the car Brock will drive is one built with Targa Tasmania in mind.

Weighing 450 kilograms less than his regular Monaro mount, the Daytona Coupe offers an improved power to weight ratio and Brock thinks it will surprise.

"Richard Bendell asked me if I wanted to drive his car in Targa, so I took the car for a run at Calder," Brock said.

"The Monaro I drove in 2004 was a more robust car than the Daytona and with it came more reliability and surety with testing. But this is a very competitive piece of machinery. It will be a bit of an eye opener for me and I guarantee it will look good and it will sound good."

With 250 entries, this year's Targa Tasmania will begin on ANZAC Day ­ Tuesday April 25 ­ from the Launceston Country Club and cross the line on Sunday April 30 at Wrest Point in Hobart.

Held over 2100 kilometres of Tasmania's roads (of which 450 kilometres are competitive), the event features 45 stages.

Other high profile competitors include former motorcycle star Daryl Beattie, twotime Bathurst winner Tony Longhurst, rally star Dean Herridge and seventime Targa Tasmania winner, Jim Richards.

-an-