FORMER Tasmanian Andrew Miedecke will return to his home state to drive in the Targa Wrest Point event next month.
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Miedecke now runs a new car dealership at Port Macquarie on the New South Wales central coast but Tasmania still holds a special place for him.
He grew up in Launceston and still has family living in the state.
Miedecke took part in the very early Targas, winning Targa Tasmania outright in 1994, but then took a long break from the sport.
A former V8 Supercar driver, he came back to the sport in 2010, with a 1971 Ford Capri Perana in Targa High Country with immediate success.
He was able to take out the late classic competition in his debut season.
Since then he has been involved in a number of Targas and is always one of the front runners in the classic outright competition.
His last start in the state was Targa Tasmania in 2011, when he was leading after the opening two days before an off-road excursion ended his charge when victory was just starting to look likely.
Two years ago his son, George, put the Perana into the water off a cliff during Targa Wrest Point, and since then the Miedecke team has created a new car to campaign.
The V8 engine of the Perana develops 530 brake horsepower, and in a car weighing only 1100 kilograms, it's a great power-to-weight ratio.
The car was built and finished by Launceston's Les Walkden Rallying, and lives in the team's Youngtown workshop.
It made its debut at Targa High Country in Victoria in November in spectacular fashion, winning classic outright on debut.
Others likely to challenge Miedecke for classic honours include South Australians Roger Paterson in a 1974 Porsche 911 Carrera RS and Craig Haysman in a very quick Triumph TR7 V8.
Local hope Greg Garwood will be back in action after his disastrous time on Mt Buller for Targa High Country, behind the wheel of a 1977 Holden Torana A9X, with experienced co-driver John Allen calling the notes.
Garwood won the modern section at the inaugural Targa Wrest Point back in 2009.
The sixth running of Targa Wrest Point will be held on February 1 and 2, and includes 14 closed road special stages to the south-west of Hobart.
