Once you’ve done one Targa tarmac motor rally – like event regulars Mark and Chris Kirk-Burnnand (pictured) from Wellington – you know exactly what to expect from the next. But what if the upcoming 20th anniversary event in the South Island is your first?
“Good question,” says event owner and director Peter Martin. “That’s why we’re running a training day to familiarise people with the events at Highlands Motorsport Park in Cromwell this Saturday (August 30).”
Though the majority of entries so far received (close to 100 across the various competitive classes and over 80 in the associated but non-competitive Targa Tour) are from veterans of at least one previous Targa event Martin says there has still been a lot of interest from people new to the event, hence information evenings be has already run up and down the country, and now a dedicated training day at Highlands Motorsport Park on Saturday.
“What we’ve found in talking to people, is that while most, particularly those already active in motorsport, know what circuit racing and rallying (on gravel) are all about, they’re still a bit unsure about Targa….how the route book works, servicing requirements, even down to when and how they refuel their cars along the way,” says Martin.
To that end Targa NZ and Cromwell’s Highlands Motorsport Park have put together a day which combines theory – a basic whiteboard-style introduction to the event in the morning – with a practical test which uses a route book and requires driver and co-driver to navigate their way round a set course at the venue in the afternoon.
Highlands was keen to support the Targa however they could, and given they’ve over 25 members entering they saw this as a great way to provide a hands-on 101 introduction to Targa.
That said the day is open to all interested parties with Martin expecting as many as 40 with a 50/50 split between a desire to enter the main event or the Targa Tour.
“Not all will end up entering the South Island event, but across the main event and tour there are probably 20 that will and I’d imagine we’d see the rest at future events,” he said on Monday.
Set to speak and assist on the day are Highlands Motorsport Park owner Tony Quinn, a five-time winner of the New Zealand event, Highlands’ members and Targa event regulars Clark Proctor and (2013 Targa NZ winner) Martin Dippie, and event ambassador ‘Racing Ray’ Williams.
Martin stresses that there is room for everyone at the Targa ‘Inn,’ from serious front-running tarmac event specialists like Quinn, Proctor and Dippie, to budget-conscious weekend warriors for whom ‘doing the Targa’ is an item on their ‘bucket list.’
“That’s the real beauty of our event and it’s a message we’re always trying to get across to people. You don’t have to buy a specific ‘Targa’ car, you can do it in a new car or an old car, a purpose-built competition car or classic, even – as some of our Tour regulars do – a brand new one straight off the showroom floor.
“The other thing, obviously, is the fact that it is a ‘road’ event and for six days you get to experience, at speed, some of the best roads we have in this country. Every other day of the year those roads are open with rigorously policed speed limits. But the one day a year we arrive in town they are closed for our competitors and Tour entrants to enjoy.”
Targa New Zealand events are organised with the support of sponsors Ecolight, Federal motorsport tyres, Global Security, Highlands Motorsport Park, Instra Corporation, Kids In Cars, Metalman, NZ Classic Car magazine, Race Brakes, TeamTalk, TrackIt, VTNZ. and Woolrest Biomag.
