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Absolutely Awesome - Broadbent on East Coast Targa Course

Following their first look at the 2005 East Coast Targa course during a reconnaissance last weekend, the front running Victorian team of Rex Broadbent and Michael Goedheer have described it as “absolutely awesome”.

Neither Broadbent or Goedheer have competed in the East Coast Targa before, so to do a ‘recee’ before it starts on August 24 was essential for the team which is listed on a short list of favorites for outright honours.

Now 56, Broadbent is another circuit racer turned tarmac rally driver. He has competed in the Formula Ford national series and Porsche Cup, and as the event features stages on three race circuits, Oran Park, Eastern Creek and Mount Panorama he should be at home.

“Its an absolutely awesome course, and we cant wait to get back here in the Daytona. Mount Panorama as we expected it to be, is fantastic, and quite frankly I’m really excited and can’t wait,” Broadbent said.

The past three years have been extremely successful for Broadbent and Goedheer, having won the Classic Adelaide on three occasions, and also having performed well in Targa Tasmania.

In 2002 they competed in a Porsche 911 RSR, and won the South Australian event outright, while they won the Classic Category outright in Tasmania.

The following year in a Porsche GT-3, they once again won Classic Adelaide outright, and were third outright in Tasmania, while 2004 saw them move up to the Daytona Coupe, where they won Adelaide again, and were 5^th outright in Tasmania.

This year in one of the most exciting Targa Tasmania events of all time, they took a very fine 4^th place.

“I’m so pleased we did the reconnaissance this weekend, because the roads are so different to what we compete on in Tasmania, where they are very twisty. These are very fast.”

For the East Coast Targa, they will once again use the awesome 2000 Daytona Coupe, a car built by ‘Mr Motec’ Richard Bendell, and is a modern interpretation of the 1965 Shelby Daytona Coupe, which beat Ferrari to the World Sports Car Championship that year.

The Daytona has a full space frame chassis, with fiberglass body and is powered by a Chevy 5.7 litre V8 engine. It has a double wishbone suspension, Harrop brakes with ABS, 5 speed dog box (rally specs) and weighs 1100kg.

“Mike and I always look forward to going in any rally, and particularly this one, as it is new to us and there is a high likelihood of fine weather, which gives our 2 wheel drive car a fighting chance. Mike in particular is looking forward to the Mount Panorama stages, as it has been a dream of his for years to compete on it,” said Broadbent.

This years East Coast Targa runs from August 24-27, starting from Homebush Bay in Sydney, and is based in Bathurst for the final three days, with 9 stages set to be conducted on or around the famous Mount Panorama curcuit.

For further information on the event, visit www.eastcoasttarga,.com.au