@targanl • CLARENVILLE, NL – The City Tire & Auto/Goodyear North Burin Leg Two of the 2014 Targa Newfoundland concluded Tuesday (September 16) after mechanical failure and penalties caused heartbreak for some teams and lost chances of obtaining a Targa plate at the end of the event.
Several teams ran into mechanical issues on the first stage of the morning. The 2009 Subaru STI of the New Brunswick team of Randy Wheaton and Andy MacNeil ran into serious engine issues that may have taken them totally out of the event. The Targa division entry is attending their first event and was hoping for a much better outcome. Instead, a long night of engine work will be in their future. Also having mechanical issues was the 1999 Honda Civic of the Ontario/Quebec team of Peter Andrews and Michel Jullian.
After nursing their car throughout today’s stages, they have successfully completed repairs tonight and are expected to compete at a higher level on tomorrow’s Leg 3. Several other teams also had minor issues that were dealt with, resulting in an array of missed stages or just minor delays in getting to the start line. All of those teams will be back in action in the morning.
After the results of today’s Leg 2, the Grand Touring, Equipped division looks extremely different from yesterdays. The veteran team of John Hume Sr. and Craig MacMullen in their 2013 Mini GP have taken the lead by 4 seconds over their teammates of Nicole Troster and Cody Morch, who are driving a 2006 Mini GP.
Former leaders of Keri Potipcoe and Michel Crepault in their 2015 Nissan Micra SR M/T have fallen to 7th in the standings after multiple stages with penalties that have taken them 42 seconds behind the leaders. The Grand Touring, Unequipped also had a lead change with Reverend Canon David Burrows and Jason Fancey in their 2014 Scion Tc overtaking their teammates of the ‘Racing with the Reverend’ team of Geoff and Lester Pike.
In the Classic division of Targa, Mark Bovey and Miles Markovic of Ontario have moved up into 2nd place in their 1971 GMC 1500 pickup truck. The 1965 Mustang of Indiana natives Jack Rogers and CJ Strupp are still in the lead and look to be settling in for the week at that position.
Modern division is now a three car fight at the top, with the spot being shared by the 2004 BMW M3 of John Hume Jr. of Ontario and Justin Crant of Newfoundland, the 2004 Subaru WRX STI of Newfoundland natives and father/son team Brian and Matthew Oldford, and the 2006 Lotus Exige of Stan Hartling of the Turks and Caicos and Newfoundland native Andy Proudfoot. All teams have no penalties and seem to be at the top of their game for preparation and intensity while on the stages. The fight will continue as the next couple of Legs are 10 and 11 stages in length, respectively.
In Open, it is still a five way tie for 1st, as those teams start to pull away from the remaining Open division competitors. As usual, with the double-digit stages over the next couple of days, it’ll certainly create some separation amongst the top teams in the division.
Leg 3 on Wednesday will certainly bring with it a lot of attention, with several of the new stages to the Targa schedule coming into play on the day. Many competitors have never been on the roads of that portion the Bonavista Peninsula before, adding a touch of suspense to the already increasing pressure on the teams looking to place well for a Targa plate. The Eastlink South Bonavista Leg will certainly be one to watch.
Owned and operated by Newfoundland International Motorsports Limited, Targa Newfoundland is one of three internationally recognized Targa motorsports events in the world. The 2014 competition will start in St. John’s on September 14 and concludes back in the capital on September 19. The annual rally will cover more than 1,550 kilometres of the challenging, twisty roads of the central and eastern portion of Newfoundland, including 430 kilometres of closed-road, flat-out Targa stages.
From Darren Sheppard / registrar@targanewfoundland.com / Website: www.targanewfoundland.com & www.facebook.com/targanl
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