We’re less than two weeks away from the start of Targa Newfoundland 2024 with a great field of competitors and cars from across North America. We’re pumped about the return of defending Targa 1 champ and racing legend Randy Pobst from Georgia with co-driver Paul Abbott of St. John’s in a 1989 Porsche 911 Targa. Randy won Targa 1 with Craig MacMullin and John Hume in the Team Hume MINI GP last year and has won just about everything in his illustrious sports car career. Their team name? Team Targa Tackles Targa. They chose that tongue-twister because they’re racing Targa in a Targa, get it? Oh, nevermind.
Here’s a quick look at some of the other teams racing this year:
• Team Satish and Savera – Veteran rally champions Satish Gopalkrishnan and Savera D’Souza from New Jersey won the Grand Touring title last year in their 2023 Mercedes-Benz GLA 45 AMG and in the process fell in love with the province. They return this fall to defend their title.
• Team Newfoundland MotorHead Racing – Rob Thompson and Justin Ronayne, both living in St. John’s, are bringing a modified 2020 Subaru STI. Rob has wanted to do Targa since watching the cars race past his house years ago while Justin, a champion autocrosser, is a veteran of the rally.
• Team M2 Strategies – Brothers Sam and Rick Marshall from Fort Myers, Florida return to Targa for the second year in a row in their 2016 Subaru STI. Their grandfather came from St. John’s and they still have family on the island.
• Team Spud Performance – Targa first-timers Keir Pollard and Lance Campbell from PEI are bringing a fully-caged 2003 Subaru WRX to challenge the legendary rally.
• Team Aylmer Express – Father and son, John and Brett Hueston of Aylmer, Ontario, are new to rallies but have years of motorcycle racing experience. They’ll be racing a 2024 Subaru BRZ TS – possibly on two wheels at times.
• Team n*synchro – The Eh! Team is back with a new name and different car. Corey Finkelstein and Tom Pokorny of Ontario live and breathe car culture in their work and personal lives. They’ll add Italian flavour to the mix with a 1998 Fiat Coupe.
• Team WSP Motorsports – Avid autocrossers Cameron Combden and Andrew Keeping from Corner Brook, Newfoundland will get their first taste of Targa in a 1998 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution V bought especially for this event.
• Team Bavarian Brothers – Don and Frank Bray, brothers from New Brunswick and PEI respectively, will race a 1999 BMW M3, the “ultimate driving machine” from Bavaria, in the ultimate tarmac rally.
• Team Bakery Garage – The intercontinental team of Ralph Wiesbrock of Ottawa, Ontario and his cousin Matthias Boemke of Germany have tackled the Alps and Autobahn together and now will challenge Targa in a 2017 BMW M2.
• Team Knight Motorsports – Another new homegrown team from Newfoundland, Devon Knight of Corner Brook and co-driver Logan King-Gaudon of Black Duck Siding, will bring some American muscle in a 2015 Mustang GT. Devon has dreamed of racing in Targa since he was a kid.
• Team Jellybean – Husband and wife pair, Kurt and Lu Penner, get the prize for driving the furthest just to get to Targa. They are coming all the way across Canada from Langley, B.C. in their restored classic 1965 Beaumont Sport Deluxe Convertible and then they plan to drive back through the States. They’re halfway across Canada now and reporting on their progress on Facebook.
• Team Faster Pastor – A fixture at Targa since the rally began in 2002, Pastor Edison Wiltshire from Clarenville, Newfoundland is back with his grand-daughter and co-driver Olivia Wiltshire-Ryan in a 2007 Saab 93 V6 Turbo. Rev. Wiltshire once performed a wedding during Targa.
• Team Rumble Strip – Sportscar enthusiasts and racing fans Dale Levandier and Frances Markel from Massachusetts are fulfilling a longtime dream to take part in Targa Newfoundland as well as explore the beauty of this province.
• And more to come …
What is the route of the rally?
The first rally stages are held in beautiful Bay Bulls and Witless Bay, known for whale watching and colonies of sea birds. The next stages are in the Placentia – Southern Avalon Peninsula area with a particularly challenging run along the narrow road to the Cape St. Mary’s bird sanctuary.
Teams then head to Gander for the special Come From Away Memorial Stage where they’ll race through the streets of the town for the first time in years. This stage is a favourite with racers and fans alike. From there, the rally winds through the towns and outports along Notre Dame Bay from Glenwood to Leading Tickles before concluding in Appleton.
The next leg takes competitors along the Eastport Peninsula on Bonavista Bay known for its rugged coastline and sandy beaches. Teams will race through Eastport, Happy Adventure, Burnside, and Salvage before heading to Port Blandford.
Several outports on Random Island in Trinity Bay will host multiple stages. The final day of competition in the Conception Bay area will really put the skills of the teams to the test as it includes a tight course through the streets of historic Brigus.
You can see maps of each day of the rally and information on each stage here:
2024 Route Map and Road Closures – Targa Newfoundland (targanfld.com)
2024 Targa Stages* – Targa Newfoundland (targanfld.com)
What does Targa mean anyway?
Targa Newfoundland is one of only three internationally recognized targa events. It’s been attracting motorheads like you since 2002. But what’s a targa?
Targa Newfoundland takes its name from an Italian road race that began in the early 1900s, when the Florio family staged a race around the island of Sicily. The prize for winning Targa Florio was the Florio family plaque (“targa” is Italian for plate or plaque – a family crest).
Targa Newfoundland is two events in one: Duemila and Bambina. “Duemila” is Italian for two thousand. Targa Duemila is so named because the six-day competition covers over 2000 km of roads from eastern to central Newfoundland. “Bambina” is the Italian word for a female child or girl. The Bambina event is the shorter two-day competition.
Make your own history. Join the fortunate few who have earned a Targa Newfoundland plate.
Our Communities: Spotlight on Notre Dame Bay
On Day 5, teams will travel to the former logging community of Glenwood then proceed to stages in the communities of Bobby’s Cove, Pleasantview, Point Leamington, Leading Tickles, Glovers Harbour and Appleton.
Natural beauty abounds in this region. Glenwood, the second oldest inland community in Newfoundland, hugs the shoreline of Gander Lake and the mighty Gander River, one of the world’s best Atlantic salmon fishing destinations. First settled in the late 1800s, Appleton is a popular spot for outdoor recreation in all seasons. The Riverfront Peace Park includes a four-metre piece of steel from the Twin Towers donated to the town for its role in taking in passengers from flights diverted after the 9/11 attacks in 2001.
Point Leamington has much to offer in the way of sport salmon fishing, boating, hiking, hunting, and snowmobiling in winter. Pleasantview is a small fishing community situated near the shore of South Arm off Notre Dame Bay. Glovers Harbour is famous as the Home of the Giant Squid. In 1878, a 55-foot-long giant squid washed ashore there and was subsequently recognised as a world record by Guinness and immortalized with a “life-sized” sculpture. Leading Tickles is a small fishing outport which boasts three beautiful beaches, hiking trails, and camping. Area cliffs and lookoffs provide views of whales as well as icebergs in spring and early summer.
Saluting our dedicated volunteers
It takes more than eager competitors to make Targa Newfoundland successful. Targa wouldn’t be possible without an army of dedicated volunteers. From the beginning in 2002, Targa has been fortunate to attract the greatest group of people behind the scenes.
A safe and successful rally depends on thorough and careful preparation months in advance by the organizing committee as well as coordination, efficiency and organization by a team of volunteers on the ground during the week of the event. Those positions include competitor relations officers (the famous CROs), set up and tear down teams, safety marshals, recorders, radio people, etc. A whole team of volunteers travel from stage to stage throughout the week to ensure the rally runs smoothly. And they have a lot of fun along the way.
To all of our volunteers, we salute you! We can’t do this without you.
Fighting hunger and supporting our communities
Throughout its history, Targa has supported various worthwhile charities. With food insecurity on the rise everywhere – especially in our province of Newfoundland and Labrador – we decided to support the Community Food Sharing Association this year. Every year, the Community Food Sharing Association collects more than eight million pounds of non-perishable food and distributes it through 60 food banks province-wide to 15,400 children, women, and men.
We’ll be collecting food bank donations at the car shows at Hickman Chevrolet Buick GMC dealerships in St. John’s, Clarenville and Gander as well as during our lunch stops in other communities. Fans can see the rally cars up close, meet the teams, and do something good for their community by donating non-perishable food.
Car Show Locations and Dates:
Hickman Chevrolet – St. John’s
85 Kenmount Road
Saturday, Sept. 14
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Hickman Chevrolet Buick GMC – Gander
201 Airport Boulevard
Sunday, Sept. 15 and Monday, Sept. 16
6:30-8:30 p.m.
Hickman Chevrolet Buick GMC – Clarenville
16 Shoal Harbour Drive
Tuesday, Sept. 17 and Wednesday, Sept. 18
6:30-8:30 p.m.
