Looking back on my first ever spin in a Targa car, there’s a lot of stuff I wish I’d done.
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Somewhere between trying to live stream to Facebook while travelling at ridiculous speeds and being genuinely flattered by a raceway official telling me my head wasn’t as big as he’d first thought as he fitted my helmet, I forgot to check if Porsches have cup holders.
I also missed the opportunity to ask my driving buddy and 2016 Targa Tasmania winner Matt Close if he usually carries around an aux cord for passengers and if I could be in charge of tunes.
But then, you’re not really in the clearest headspace when you’re locked into a sports car that’s about to reach 250 clicks and you’re used to trundling around in a 25-year-old Toyota Corolla.
First up, I’m shamelessly ignorant when it comes to anything cars but it seems like Matt Close is a pretty good driver.
Even as we hurtled towards hairpin turns at what must have been close to 200km/h, I still felt safer than I do taking my Corolla down Balfour Street hill.
And driving that fast is pretty crazy.
My brain didn’t really know how to process it other than to imagine how much more enjoyable a trip to Hobart would be at that speed.
Do I need to stop in Campbell Town for a coffee?
Nah, I’ll just wait it out for half an hour and get one in Hobart. Delicious to think about.
Another super fun thing is the headset.
I’ll admit I was initially disappointed when I chucked on my helmet and realised I could no longer hear anything, so you can imagine my delight when I was hooked up to an intercom system.
It’s been one of my longest and most firmly-held beliefs that walkie talkies can make anything more enjoyable, and driving is certainly not the exception to that rule.
And just as a tip to budding film-makers out there, filming without a tripod in a Targa car is pretty difficult.
Looking back on the footage I can’t help but feel I would have got steadier shots inside a tumble dryer, but then, some things you can’t properly experience through a screen.
Thanks Matt!