@targanl •St John’s NL (January 2, 2017)- Targa Newfoundland has received approval from the Town of Harbour Grace to run Targa stages within its jurisdiction. This decision was the final stepping stone in putting together the 2017 ‘Sweet Sixteen’ Targa course.
A spreadsheet with the course locations is available via the Targa website or by contacting the office directly. Targa have incorporated a number of changes in the 2017 course, the biggest being a change in some of the locations of overnight stays.
As usual, on the Saturday and Sunday before the event, competitors will be in St. John’s; Monday and Tuesday evenings will see the event in Clarenville per usual, but new for 2017, Wednesday and Thursday will be in the Conception Bay North (CBN) area.
The two nights in CBN represent a change in the type and style of accommodations competitors are accustomed with. Competitors and their crews will now be able to experience smaller facilities and Bed & Breakfast locations. The location of the nightly car shows in CBN will be confirmed soon.
The reasons for these changes are primarily sourced from feedback gathered from the 2016 event. As a result we:
– Decided to move out of the upper Bonavista peninsula. While the stages are lovely, the roads are much too rough. With the province’s current economic conditions, we could not foresee the required repairs and upgrades being made to the roads in these sparsely populated areas.
– Created the optional Targa Open-Pro Class, which will see increased speeds which, in turn, would adversely affect the vehicles on rough stages.
– Move to a more heavily populated, sponsor friendly area. Conception Bay North fills this requirement, is only a one hour drive from St. John’s, and has much better roads.
– Hotel accommodations are becoming more and more difficult to book in the Clarenville area, as major bus tours were cutting into the room availability.
In addition, over the past three years, we have experienced an increase in the Targa related festivities in the Cupids / Brigus stages. This is attracting more and more spectators each year, which in turn attracts more spectator services and entertainment. We want to expand this concept:
– On Thursday of the 2017 event we will run 12 closely knit stages that are quite different in character.
– We have partnered with the new multi-million dollar Stone Jug Restaurant and Entertainment Centre in Carbonear to provide a centerpiece to the event. The goal of this partnership is to create a full day of competition and entertainment which will turn into a Carbonear/Harbour Grace based Targa festival and draw many spectators to the area.
– This festive and exciting Thursday will have something for everyone which will, in turn, augment and increase the suspense and excitement in the Cupids/Brigus areas on the next day.
Targa feels that this mass entertainment concept will attract many spectators to the area. They will, in turn, patronize the restaurants, businesses and accommodation facilities.
The 16th Targa Newfoundland is looking to be one of the most exciting events yet. A strong field is already being assembled, with returning veterans of the Targa from years past, plus new rookies looking to take the top spots in their divisions. With new stages and the new Open Pro class, it’ll certainly make for an exciting event!
Private transportation from Toronto eastward available for Targa 2017
Scott Robbins (past competitor, 2nd place Classic 2015, 3rd place Open 2014, 3-time Targa plate winner, and master of everything mechanical) has transported dozens of vehicles from the mainland for the last several Targas. Scott will once again be transporting vehicles to and from the event and providing servicing for competitors for the 2017 Targa.
Competitors who used his services were impressed with the professionalism and the care he and his crew took in bringing the vehicles down and back to their respective homes. Scott, and his friend Nick Kruczkowski, won the 2016 Service Crew Award for their hard work during the week of Targa. They helped numerous teams with mechanical issues, answered questions and provided leadership when called upon in the paddock.
Scott has access to an enclosed car trailer and a couple of open trailers that he will use to transport vehicles and gear for the event (images below). The price of transport will be determined based on the number of vehicles, which transport option the competitor wishes to use (enclosed or open trailer) and the size of the vehicle itself.
He can pick up vehicles from Toronto and east along the way to St. John’s. Vehicles from western Canada and the U.S. are welcome to join the convoy at any point (Toronto and east).
Scott and his crew members can also service vehicles that they transport, or other vehicles that arrive without service crews. He will be bringing an assortment of tools and can work on any and all vehicles.
For more information on the cost and other questions, please email Scott at srobbi@hotmail.com or call him at 905-424-3732.
Tom Hollett Memorial Targa Bambina entry information
Bambina’s officially accepting entries! Anyone who is interested in signing up for the Bambina (mini Targa), please contact registrar@targanewfoundland.com or call 1-877-332-2413 for more information. All necessary forms and the Rules and Regulations document are available from the office.
The Bambina takes place on the Burin Peninsula from June 30th till July 3rd, which falls on the Canada Day long weekend. Entry fee is $750.00 for Fast Touring division (non-competitive) and $1,250.00 for the Targa Bambina division (competitive 2WD and AWD), plus HST. The overall winner of the Bambina, with the fewest penalties, receives a free entry into the 2017 Targa Newfoundland in September to the division of their choice!
Full schedule, location of stages and supporting information will be released in the coming weeks and months leading up to the event.
www.targabambinanl.com is the place to go for all Bambina information. The site is still being worked on, so bookmark it and continue to visit it as we update it throughout January!
We also have a group page set up on Facebook for Bambina information. Please join that group at www.facebook.com/groups/107177023099221/ and you’ll be able to get some more local knowledge of the event, the Burin Peninsula, and chat it up with some of the fans of the Bambina!
Volunteers needed for Bambina and Targa 2017
Targa Newfoundland is looking for volunteers for the 2017 motorsport season. If you’d like to help out with the Tom Hollett Memorial Bambina during the Canada Day long weekend on the Burin Peninsula, help out with the 16th annual Targa Newfoundland in September, or assist with both events, please contact us at the office.
Depending on the volunteer position, you may have your accommodations, meals and transportation supplied, plus receive high-quality training specific to the events. Targa also provides volunteer hours for high school students, which require a specific number of volunteer hours to graduate.
If dealing with electronics is your thing, then perhaps join one of our Timing Teams. If dealing with logistics and helping people is your thing, then become one of our Competitor Relations Officers.
If helping a community prepare for the event is more your thing, then become one of our Set-Up Vehicle teams. Like the idea of seeing the vehicles in action? Then sign up to be a Roving Safety Marshall. These and other positions are available for both the Bambina and the Targa.
Please contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Ms. Leah Dalton at leahd@targanl.com for more information on the above positions and other related information. Or contact the office at registrar@targanewfoundland.com and toll free 1-877-332-2413. We’ll take your information and provide it to the Volunteer Coordinator to contact you.
It’s certainly a great way to see the central and eastern portion of the island, meet new people with similar interest as yourself, and if you are into motorsports, it’s the closest you’ll get to a real rally car in this province!
Jim Kenzie annual calendar in support of Parachute
Jim Kenzie, one of the creators of Targa Newfoundland, Canadian automotive journalist, and TV personality, has once again created a calendar of some of the most beautiful and interesting vehicles that he’s driven over the past year.
Jim travels the world annually driving some of the coolest rides, writes about them, and he even takes pictures of these vehicles when nobody is looking, hence the calendar idea.
Jim also does some wonderful charity work here at home. Parachute is Canada’s premier injury prevention organization www.parachutecanada.org, conducting a nation-wide program to educate the public in safety practices for home, work, and everywhere in between.
Jim is a huge supporter of the organization, and provides 50% of the proceeds from the sale of his annual calendar to Parachute. Please visit their website if you wish to donate to their cause or learn more about the organization.
To order a calendar, which goes up to January of 2018, please visit www.jimkenzie.com/calendar.html and follow the instructions for payment. Jim will also autograph it for you!
Entry Fees for 2017 Targa Newfoundland
Discounted entry fees to enter the 16th annual Targa Newfoundland are available through until the end of January. Register early to take advantage of the best pricing.
For entry forms or for more information on the event, please contact Darren at registrar@targanewfoundland.com or call 1-877-332-2413 (709-722-2413). Payment plans are available. Monthly payments will be determined based on time of entry and the deposit amount.
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