Bunbury was well represented at the latest Make Smoking History Targa West event at Langley Park.
Sixty-four cars lined up to start Perth's premiere tarmac rally on Thursday September 16 and 54 crossed the finish line four days later after racing along 37 stages, a total of 272 competitive kilometres in and around Perth, Toodyay, Chittering and Bullsbrook.
Jumping up a place on the overall leader board to finish in fourth outright was Bunbury's Mark Cates in his 2019 Porsche 911 GT3 RS with Tasmanian co-driver Anthony Carr.
This is Cates' fourth time competing at Targa West, last year was a DNF and his best result was fifth in 2019.
He's clocking up some racing kilometres competing in as many Targa events as he can in WA and the eastern states to be a serious future title contender.
Cates / Carr finished fastest and equal fastest on both Zig Zag stages in Kalamunda on Day 2, and had a few 'moments' that they recovered from to finish strong.
"It was a good outcome, we got what we deserved and landed exactly where we wanted to be, the other three are another class above us, but we put everything we had into it and we're thoroughly pleased," said Cates.
"A new co-driver is always tricky, but Anthony and I gelled well and he did a great job."
Other local contenders included Gelorup's husband and wife duo Bill and Glenys Stagoll who finished in sixth outright in their 2006 Mitsubishi Lancer Evo 9 and won the Early Modern Class.
Dardanup's Will White and Matt Thompson from Eaton finished in seventh overall in White's new car, a 2018 Nissan GTR Nismo.
"It's taken a little while to get a handle on this new car but by Saturday, I felt like I was able to push a bit harder knowing what the car can do," White said.
It was White's eight time competing at Targa West. Last year he finished on the podium in second place in a different car, a 2006 Mitsubishi Evo 9.
Greg Freeman from Roelands took out the classic category in the 1960s class with his co-driver Mandy Lister in their 1969 Chevrolet Camaro.
