MOTORSPORT NEWS ARCHIVE
Appleby Lamborghini back in Targa pack
The new owner of the Lamborghini Gallardo piloted by pro-golfer Stuart
Appleby at last year's Targa Tasmania has confirmed he will enter it in
this year's 15 th anniversary event from April 25 - 30. This entry from
South Australian businessman Kevin Weeks now means that this year's Targa
Tasmania will once again be a proving ground for the Gallardos driven
last year by golfer Appleby and two-time Nations Cup champion Paul Stokell.
Weeks' acquisition follows in the footsteps of reigning Targa Tasmania
champion John White who now owns and will compete this year in the Gallardo
previously driven by Stokell. Impressed by the Gallardo's debut run at
the 2005 Targa Tasmania, 55-year-old Weeks bought the all-wheel-drive;
V-10 engined Gallardo from Lamborghini Australia just following last year's
April event.
" I saw the Targa Tasmania DVD and watched the in-car footage of
the Gallardo with interest, the power range was unbelievable. When I found
out the car's specs and that it weighed in at 1400 kilograms, I just had
to have one," said Weeks.
Appleby's performance behind the wheel last year proved the Gallardo to
be a perfect suitor to endurance based tarmac rally events, with the golfer
finishing an impressive 10 th outright in the drivetravel.com modern competition.
Appleby's smashing debut result, which was almost outshone by Lamborghini
team mate Stokell who led the event before crashing on day three, ultimately
enforced Weeks' decision to take the plunge and join the exclusive international
list of Gallardo owners.
While the Gallardo and its famous driver were making their international
motor sport debut in 2005, Weeks was making a debut of his own. As Targa
Tasmania debutantes Weeks and his navigator Jahmeil Taylor finished a
sensational sixth outright in the drivetravel.com Modern competition in
a two-wheel-drive Porsche GT2.
" There is no doubt the Gallardo has the potential to be a winner,"
said Weeks. "The four-wheel-drive will be a positive advantage, I
can't wait! No more wrestling 500bhp through only two wheels."
Like the Whites, Weeks has been able to take advantage of factory upgrades
as seen across the Gallardo model range and will be entering the Gallardo
as a 2006 model. This year Weeks has nominated 26-year-old Rebecca Crunkhorn
as his Targa Tasmania navigator. Crunkhorn, also from South Australia,
is new to rallying and has only competed with Weeks in one short-lived
Classic Adelaide and more recently in the Mount Buller Sprint where they
finished sixth outright, 7.5 seconds in front of reigning Targa Tasmania
champions the Whites. Before this year's event Weeks will also have contested
February's Rally Tasmania in his Gallardo. With two events under his belt,
Weeks is confident any creases will have been ironed out of car and crew
before Targa Tasmania comes to town.
"By Targa Tasmania the Gallardo will fit like a glove, I will live
in it from January onwards. There is no substitute for miles in the car."
The Weeks/Crunkhorn crew is one of 226 entered in the 15 th anniversary
staging of Tasmania's 'Ultimate Tarmac Rally', Targa Tasmania, which starts
in Launceston on April 25 and ends five days later at the Wrest Point
Hotel in Hobart.
KEVIN WEEKS BIO
Weeks' 2006 Targa Tasmania campaign will add to an already lengthy portfolio
in motor sport. Like most aspiring drivers, he embarked on his career
in motor sport with a short stint with Go-Karts before moving onto competitive
car racing. Before his move to competitive rallying, Weeks raced in a
variety of classes including Formula Two, Formula Holden, production car
endurance racing at Bathurst, saloon cars and various hill climbs, achieving
honourable results and more state titles. Nowadays, Weeks feeds his motor
sport addiction with an arsenal of both classic and modern thoroughbreds
and outings at Classic Adelaide, the Mount Buller Sprint, Rally Tasmania
andof course, Targa Tasmania.
Article reproduced courtesy Targa Tasmania 2006
©Targa Tasmania 2006
Editor's note
For a full list of cars entered in the Targa
- including a good showing of Italian marques click here
