By Bill Buys - Community Newspaper Group motoring editor
THERE were a few spins, a spectacular rollover and some mechanical hassles, but at the end of four days and 212km of tarmac rallying on 33 closed road special stages, it was again Steve Jones who ran off with the Quit Targa West 2011 silverware.
It was the 27-year-old Perth driver's third victory in WA's premier tarmac rally after wins in 2008 and 2009.
He and co-driver Ben Searcy in a Nissan GTR 35, won by 1min 24secs from the similar car of South Australians Matthew and Dennis Sims with veterans Jim Richards and Barry Oliver just five seconds behind in their Tasmanian-based Porsche GT2.
“It was a very good win,” Jones said.
“Ben and I have done a lot of rallies together and most of the time we keep getting second. It’s taken a while to get and it’s much sweeter to be first.”
Earlier, the Subaru WRX STi of Graham and Mitchell Furness had a big lose on one of the Toodyay stages, rolling several times and ending up in a garden.
Nobody was hurt and the driver and co-driver walked away.
And former AFL star-turned-motorsportsman Troy Wilson and co-driver Nick Box were disqualified after an incident in a service park which officials deemed to be “dangerous to human life.”
They were in fourth place outright at the time in their Lancer Evo VII.
“As shocked and gut-wrenched as we were, CAMS officials have a job to do and they have to protect the public and the sport,” a statement by Wilson said.
“Nick and I were just starting to get the little Evo wound up, and getting pumped for the next day, (but) rules are rules and we have no qualms against the officials.”
The event, run on fast roads in Perth, Kalamunda, Toodyay and Bullsbrook, finished yesterday in front of an enthusiastic crowd on the Perth foreshore.
In the Competition Classic division, Tolley Challis and Greg Flood in their red Porsche 911 RS had a repeat win from perennial placegetters David and Vicki Moir in their very quick Datsun 240Z with Mark Dobson and Greg Butcher third in their Triumph TR-7.
Brett Morse and Rodney Ng in a BMW M3 took honours in Challenge Modern from Scarborough doctor Daryl Sosa and Stirling Hamersley's Lancer Evo IX, with the all-girl crew of Sharon Payne and Helen Lunsmann in their bright pink Lancer Evo VII in third position.
Sharon and Helen also took the Coup des Dames.
In Challenge Classic, top honours went to Bruce and Max Lake in a Datsun 240Z from Paul and Mitchell Thompson's Porsche 911 RS, with Martin Eyer and Alan Blackmore taking third in their Triumph TR8 RS.