Steve: I did my first one 11 years ago when the then organisers built a Falcon in Australia for me to run. The competition was nowhere as tough then as it is now. You could take a four-door sedan and do really well in it. I ran the Falcon for four years, first normally aspirated and then turbo charged.
I then drove a hybrid car but afterwards decided I wanted to have more control over what I drove so I got a GT40 and modified it in California.
The car did well, but I took it back to California and modified it some more and brought it back in 2008 and won our class and so on. But really a Ford GT40 is not the car for Targa. A lot of horsepower [750bhp] but putting it through two wheels was an ask.
D: I can imagine it was a handful on normal roads. So what was the solution?
S: About the time of the GT40 I was asked to introduce the Nissan GT-R to the press in America on behalf of Nissan and I thought this was the car for Targa. So we got one and built that and ran in a Targa in Newfoundland and dominated that event. After that we brought it back down here.
But by that time there were other GT-Rs racing here. Still, in my mind the GT-R is the car to run. I know the Subarus and the Mitsubishis will push us hard, but I still think the GT-R is the best car there is.
D: I won't argue with you about what car is the best, as you know more about these things than I ever would, but I'm sure having four-wheel-drive is a big advantage as well.
S: Definitely it's a big advantage. Even if it doesn't rain it's an advantage, but if it does it's an even bigger advantage. The GT-3 is such a well balanced and hi-tech car and has so much good stuff going on. It has a fantastic engine, gearbox, brakes, suspension - everything. It's a heavy car, which is against us with tyres compared with the Subarus and Mitsubishis but that's okay. It's what I'd rather be in.
D: How did you get on last year?
S: We finished third so I was the second loser. The thing is to manage your tyres and last year we were allowed only six tyres. It was predicted to rain later in the week so I went a little easy on the tyres in the first couple of days. I got to Wellington with one day to go and they said it was going to be a big storm the next day.
I was the only guy in the top four cars who had some tread left. Had it rained the next day as it was predicted to do the top two guys would have had to take two new tyres that would have resulted in a penalty. However, I woke up in the morning and looked out the window and it was sunny and bright ...
D: How close is the competition these days?
S: It's even more than it has ever been. There are probably eight or nine cars that could win this event. It's such a great event because we go to parts of the country you wouldn't normally go to. It's fabulous when you get out on the back roads. We get into these little communities where the people and the kids are so enthusiastic about it all. It's just a great week of your life.
D: Have you done any improvements on the car since last year?
S: We've done some work on the engine, engine management so it'll produce more power. We're making some changes to the suspension, as it was a bit soft last year so we've stiffened it up. There are different brakes this year as well.
Millen is as keen as ever to compete in Targa New Zealand and has a twinkle in his eye in the run-up to the race. But he'll still have to be wary of multiple winner Tony Quinn, in another GT-R, and Glenn Inkster.
