Young gun Oscar Targett has been left frustrated yet satisfied with his rookie campaign in the Porsche Michelin Sprint Challenge Australia after undergoing open-heart surgery earlier this year.
In a completely necessary but untimely manner, the Queenslander missed the opening round of the year in Phillip Island due to a last-minute call-up from the doctors.
Thankfully, the surgery took place without complications and Targett was back on track with Grove Racing in Tasmania a couple of months later.
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It didn’t take long for the 17-year-old to start turning heads when he eventually made his debut in the one-make Porsche category, with a third place finish in his debut race in Tasmania the first of five podiums for the year thus far.
The impressive run of results has also seen Targett slowly work his way up the standings where he currently sits in fourth place with only two rounds remaining.
Whilst he has enjoyed a strong debut season, Targett admitted his frustration about not being in title contention.
“I had open heart surgery about a month before the first round, everything was fine and went well but we knew it was coming,” Targett said.
“We were heading down to test a month before the event and I got a call at the airport telling me we were going to do it in a week, so after showing good speed at the test, we had to pull out and focus on the following round in Tasmania.
“It was disappointing to miss the first round, but we didn’t have much option. It set us back in terms of the title race and experience, but after a few rounds I’m catching back up.
“If we had done that first round and had been as competitive as we have for the rest of the season, we would likely be in the fight.
“But considering what I had to go through to get to the second round, it’s okay. However, it always sits in the back of your mind.
“With it being my first season of car racing, I’m very much in a learning mode, so I know we need to just keep pressing on.”
Targett will next compete in the Porsche category at Shell V-Power Motorsport Park this weekend as part of the Shannons Trophy Series.
He will then venture back to Mount Panorama for the Supercheap Auto Bathurst International after making his debut at the world-famous circuit at the Repco Bathurst 1000.
“I had never been to Bathurst until a couple of days ago in the Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 series. It’s not exactly a Porsche, but it was a good thing for me to do before heading there in November and it should benefit me a lot,” Targett explained.
“It’s very much just a normal racetrack for the first and end part of the lap, but I have never experienced anything like driving across the top there, and the Porsche is just going to be another step up.
“It’s a challenge that I am really looking forward to, it’s one of the best racetracks in the world and I can’t wait to go back in November.
“It’s Bathurst, it won’t be a small event and I know it won’t be one that I will be forgetting about anytime soon.”
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The exciting one-make Porsche category will make its way to Mount Panorama for Supercheap Auto Bathurst International as part of Shannons SpeedSeries on 10-12 November.
