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Targa II takes off
Green flag will drop in St. John's, Newfoundland next week
By Bob English
Thursday, September 4, 2003
Competitors from around the world, in cars ranging from high powered historic masterpieces to even higher-horsepower classics and modern machinery, will start their engines in St. John's September 13 to begin the second annual Targa Newfoundland International Car rally.
(Ed. note: Megawheels will be represented by contributor Bob English, who will pilot the Kia Rio RX-V he ran in last year's event.)
The Kia will be one of a number of factory entries this year, and Porsche will be the Targa Newfoundland's "Honoured Marque." A number of Porsches will compete as part of a diverse and entertaining field that includes a Ruff Turbo, along with a 600 hp Mustang, a Lancia rally car, old and new Minis and a 1953 Studebaker of all things. They will compete in a new class for Carrera Panamericana (a Mexican open road race) cars. This week-long event, which involves literally thousands of people and runs through some 52 communities in Eastern and Central Newfoundland, starts in St. John's and takes competitors over more than 2,000 km of paved roads before returning them to the capital at week's end. The route this year, should you be around to spectate, includes legs from St. John's to Gander, Gander to Gander, Gander to Clarenville, Clarenville to Marystown and Marystown to St. John's.
The rally is staged in two formats that run simultaneously. There's a timed event, called the Targa Newfoundland, run over closed-road special stages (like the World Rally Championship) for competition prepared cars. And there's the Targa Touring, a distance/speed/time road rally open to all types of cars. There are classes for historic, classic and modern cars.
Last year's inaugural event attracted just under 40 teams from as far away as Australia, but organizers anticipate a final tally of twice that number for this year's event.
The event is also gaining a higher profile with sponsors such as tire maker Goodyear Canada and auto parts giant Decoma International Ltd. signing on as sponsors. Organizers have also confirmed dates for the next three annual events, giving Targa Newfoundland plenty of time to establish itself on the international motorsport calendar. For more information on route details contact: wwwtarganewfoundland.com.
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