Team MINI has burst back onto the Australian motorsport scene securing an outstanding finish for all three cars at Targa Tasmania, 40 years after Mini Coopers filled the top nine places at Bathurst.

The fledgling team has well and truly earned its racing stripes after finishing first and second of all front-wheel drive competitors in the hotly contested drivetravel.com Modern Competition. Team MINI scored second overall in the manufacturer standings behind the vastly-experienced factory backed Subaru team, and ahead of Mitsubishi and Porsche team runners.

In a David and Goliath-style struggle, the successful combination of Lowndes/Denyer/Randell finished strongly in 24th position overall, heading the Leahey/Flintoft car in 25th place by just 11 seconds, while the novice Targa pairing of Sinclair/Hunt finished 48th outright in the CarPoint entry.

After consistently posting good times in the early stages of the rally, the MINI Cooper S John Cooper Works racers came into their own on the last day where they relished the downhill sprints and fast flowing roads.

The highlight of Leg Five was Spencer Lowndes and navigator Chris Randell posting 15th outright on the notorious Mt Arrowsmith stage well ahead of some of Targa’s fiercest competitors and previous winners in powerful 4WDs and performance cars including the White brothers’ Lamborghini Gallardo.

The perfectly balanced MINIs, which were practically standard road cars going into the event, tackled the tarmac rally with such flair and gusto that fellow motorsport teams and spectators alike left the event with a new found respect for the 1.6-litre four-cylinder supercharged pocket rockets.

Team manager David Vervaart was delighted with the team’s results, particularly given the limited preparation time available. “This was our first event with cars that were untried and untested, but true to form the MINIs have been unbelievably reliable and shown fantastic durability and pace out there on the unforgiving roads of Targa,” said Vervaart.

Spencer Lowndes is now a MINI convert after he and navigator Chris Randell finished fastest of the three Team MINI chargers, despite being more at home on the unsealed roads of the Australian Rally Championship rounds.

“Coming into Targa I wasn’t sure how well our MINI would cope on the challenging roads in one of the world’s toughest tarmac rallies, but I was blown away by its balance, handling and power,” said Lowndes. “The fast, flowing roads really suit the car. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a vehicle that can make the transition from road car to rally car with such minimal effort it’s just sensational.”

Channel Seven personality Grant Denyer, host of Sunrise morning show weather reports and hot favourite in Australia’s popular Dancing with the Stars show was ecstatic after his drive with Chris Randell in the highest placed MINI on Saturday.

“That MINI is awesome! I can’t even begin to tell you how much fun I was having out there. I’ve wanted to do Targa for at least 10 years, so I’m thrilled to have finally been given the opportunity to have a go,” said Denyer.

“The MINI has got so much grip and it just loves it out there on the tight, twisty roads. You can quite confidently throw it around and it’s happy as Larry!” he said.

According to first-time tarmac rally driver Tim Leahey, who along with co-driver Paul Flintoft were just seconds behind the Lowndes/Denyer/Randell combination, the strong performance of the three MINI Cooper S John Cooper Works cars has made many people sit up and notice the new team.

“Targa Tasmania is a fantastic event and proved the perfect proving ground for Team MINI,” said Leahey. “Our corner speed and exceptional braking power, even in the wet, left the competition scratching their heads. I don’t think the 16 or so cars I overtook during the course of the rally knew what to think when they saw us powering past!”

For Unique Cars magazine publisher Mike Sinclair, a first-time Targa rally competitor expertly guided by navigator Justin Hunt to secure 48th place, the count down for next year’s race has already begun.

“Targa is a unique event with fantastic roads – a genuine challenge. I couldn’t have picked a better car for my first Targa rally,” said Sinclair. “After more than 2,000 km of hard work, the MINI just smiles at you, begging you to give it more of the same punishing treatment. I’m already counting down to next year’s race!”

Summing up Team MINI’s performance, Vervaart concluded: “The drivers and navigators have done a great job and we look forward to bigger and better things for MINI as we continue to roll out our motorsport programme in 2006. Watch this space.”