Dean Herridge and the 
Maximum Motorsport team have begun a hectic fortnight of competition, arriving in Hobart to prepare for Targa Wrest Point. The second round of the Australian Targa Championship is contested on roads south of Hobart; stages which have typically suited Dean’s Subaru WRX STI. “Stages like ‘Airwalk’ and ‘Cygnet’ are fantastic to drive and have become favourites for many. And this event really allows our Subarus to shine. There are a couple of pretty narrow and bumpy stages on this event, and that gives us a bit of advantage against the larger cars.”
And Targa Wrest Point will see Dean reunited with his former co-driver Bill Hayes. “It’s great to have Bill back in the team. We competed together for years, so having him back in the car for Wrest Point feels pretty natural. Unfortunately Glen (Weston) wasn’t available for this event, so Bill stepped in. We’ve had great success together in the past, and this is an event where we can really challenge the ‘exotics’ for victory”.
Targa Wrest Point will be the first of back-to-back events of the Maximum team. Although the team is focused on the Tasmanian event for the next few days, as soon as Dean crosses the finish line in Hobart on Sunday night it will be ‘all hands on deck’ to pack up and transport the cars to Bathurst for the Armor All 12 Hour production race. “We’re travelling with two cars with very different setups. For Wrest Point I’ve got the 2.0L WRX STI that I’ve been using for the past couple of years. But for Bathurst, we’ve prepared our new 2.5L STI. I’ve not driven this car in competition before and it’s a very different setup for a 12 Hour endurence race. But we’re really excited to be competing at Bathurst under the Maximum Motorsport banner, and I think we’ve go the potential to surprise a few people”.
For updates during Targa Wrest Point and the Armor All Bathurst 12 Hour, check back here at deanherridge.com or on our Facebook page.
Main photo courtesy of Optical Note Photography.