Six Star Magazine Six Star Magazine Autumn 2007 | Page 24

PHOTO: CATHY COLE

Targa Newfoundland: the inside line
Rally on “the Rock” features thrills galore.

B
3-1

3-3

3-2

2-3

2-4

2-5

3-4

MAP: COURTESY OF TARGA NEWFOUNDLAND

2-6

2-2

3-5

GANDER

3-6

2-1

3-7
CLARENVILLE

3-8

1-5

1-6
4-1

1-4
5-1

4-2

5-3
5-7

5-2

P-1
P-2

5-4
1-3
4-5
4-6

4-4

ST. JOHN’S

1-1
4-3

4-7

MARYSTOWN

1-2

5-5
5-6

4-8

2007 Targa Newfoundland route map marks each stage
of the race. Each colour represents a different day.

24

illed as “the Ultimate North American Motorsport Adventure,” the weeklong road rally
known as Targa Newfoundland is the largest non-professional motorsport event on the
continent. The concept is based on the Targa Florio, a race run over closed public roads on
the island of Sicily, which began in the 1950s.
Now approaching its sixth year, Targa Newfoundland consists of one practice day, five
days of competition and 24 hours of post-event celebration. The rally begins and ends in
St. John’s and encompasses some 2,200 km of driving across the eastern and central parts
of the province. Of that total, about 500 km are “targa” stages – competitive runs against the
clock held on closed roads. For the non-competitive or “transit” sections, all competitors are
required to follow the rules of the road, including posted speed limits.
As with other rallies, the teams – consisting of a driver and a co-driver/navigator – are
given route books with directions for both the transit and targa stages. While the driver
focuses on going as quickly as possible on unfamiliar roads, the co-driver calls out the turns
ahead of time, keeping the team headed in the right direction.
There are two separate competitive classes at Targa Newfoundland: the Grand Touring
competition and the Targa competition.
The Grand Touring competition is a Time, Speed and Distance (TSD) rally in which teams
are given a set time to complete the targa stages with penalties for being too early or too
late – either at the finish or at secret time controls set up along the stage. This competition,
therefore, rewards precise timekeeping and driving.
While the Grand Touring competition is described as the chance to “experience all the
wonders of Targa Newfoundland at a more leisurely pace,” it’s not all that leisurely. At many
points during the competition, the teams need to drive very quickly if they hope to do well in
the final standings. Competitors in this class are limited to a top speed of 140 km/h on
the targa stages.