A first win always tastes different. That's what Targett experienced as he clinched a dominant victory under the lights at Sydney Motorsport Park, teaming up with Shane Smollen in the Tigani Motorsport Mercedes-AMG GT3. The 21-year-old controlled the second half of the one-hour race to secure his first win of the season.
Smollen started from pole and managed the opening stint, with teammate Paul Lucchitti in pursuit. After the amateur drivers handed over to Targett and Ojeda, the young Australian kept his more experienced rival at bay. Ojeda, a Mercedes-AMG factory driver, was ultimately taken out of contention by a drive-through penalty for a pit stop procedure infringement, leaving Targett to cruise to victory.
Reflecting on the race, Targett said, "Saturday was awesome. Went lights to flag. Shane carried the team as always and I just had to get in and do my thing in the second half. It was awesome to get a first win, especially in the only night race of the year here at Sydney."
For Targett, holding off Ojeda was particularly satisfying. "For me, holding off Jayden as a Supercars guy, it's cool, but holding off Jayden as a factory Mercedes-AMG guy is better. This is his thing. He knows these cars and to be able to hold him off and even get away a little bit was really cool."
The victory could be a springboard for Targett's career. As the leader of the SRO GT Academy, he is set to race in next year's Spa 24 via a scholarship. This week, SRO Motorsports Group announced that Team Motopark will facilitate the entry, meaning Targett will be in familiar Mercedes-AMG machinery. "As an experienced professional outfit with a growing reputation in GT racing, Team Motopark was the ideal candidate to field our SRO GT Academy entry at next year's 24 Hours of Spa," said Stephane Ratel, SRO Motorsports Group founder and CEO.
Targett hopes this performance puts him on the map. "It was definitely something that I hope helps me get on the map a bit more and hopefully get a few more drives around the world in these sorts of cars," he said. The GT World Challenge Australia concludes at the Adelaide Grand Final on November 26-29.
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