in nation’s biggest rally - Targa Tasmania is the 17th running of Australia's ultimate tarmac rally.

Palmerston’s Andrew White has entered Australia’s ultimate tarmac rally, Targa Tasmania, which gets underway in Launceston on April 15.

The five-day event has attracted a record field, with over 300 cars expected at the start line, and has the biggest field of classic cars of any event in Australia.

White is passionate about his sport and believes Targa is the ultimate test.

“I’ve always loved the event,” the father of four said.

“We don’t have any good rally roads up here, they are all boring or rough. Tasmania is just amazing. The roads just follow the terrain and the car flows along them beautifully.”

The rally is legend amonst the motoring world, attracting competitors from Australia, the USA, UK, UAE, Japan and Hong Kong.

“I met my co-driver Ashley a few years ago at Targa. He serviced my vehicle one year and the next he was navigating for me.”

Ashley Yelds will be flying from Washington, USA, to compete alongside his NT mate.

“He flies over once a year to work on the car with me. We only do Targa Tasmania and he has taken on the ‘co-driver’ role this year, and will also be behind the wheel for a few town stages.

“Ashley prefers to navigate, but he wants to give driving a go. Having both of us drive really builds the team spirit.”

The pair are also in the early stages of building a new car to replace the 1962 Volvo 122S they will be driving for the last time in Targa this year.

“The Volvo we are driving this year is the last one in the world,” the enthusiast said.

“They only made twenty of them in the world, so we have decided to give the car a break after Targa and have already begun plans on building another Volvo.”

The 17th Targa Tasmania, featuring many exotic cars, will start in Tasmania on April 15, taking the competitors along some of the best rally roads in the country before the grand finish at Hobart’s Wrest Point on April 20.